Stolen Souls
by MusicChiller27
Summary: Undertaker/OC and other OC's with WWE Superstars -Strictly AU- Alani was a regular human with a daily job and boring life. That is until she encounters a suspicious man named Taker one evening on her walk home. That one encounter completely turns her life upside down and she knows not of the connection they really have. She also doesn't know the danger lurking in the shadows.
1. Chapter 1

**Stolen Souls**

Chapter 1

He'd been watching her for quite awhile.

Acid eyes scanned the streets of downtown New York, licking his lips hungrily, craving to taste her. He honestly lost track how many nights he spent just watching her from the rooftop of the same building, never making a move. He'd been waiting for the perfect opportunity and hadn't found it yet, though something told him tonight would definitely be different. She was his prey and he was the silent predator she didn't know about, which was the beauty of it. She had no idea and was the most beautiful creature he'd ever seen in his existence, having never come across any other woman remotely close to the beauty she held.

Long flowing red hair pooled down her back in gentle waves, which was normally pulled back in a tight bun with chopsticks or in a ponytail that normally fell over her shoulder while working. She owned a small bookstore in downtown New York, her apartment just a few short blocks away from it. As beautiful as her hair was, it was the eyes that captivated him the most, drew him in, and melted him as weird as that seemed. They were the deepest of blues, reminding him a mixture of a sky in the middle of an afternoon and a midnight sky full of stars, though he hadn't seen a blue sky in decades. Her eyes hypnotized and drove him absolutely crazy.

He had to have her and tonight was the night.

With grace that a normal person would not have, he jumped from the top of the building, landing on the asphalt without a sound. The street was completely deserted; she was working late again…He was almost certain she lived at this bookstore called 'The Escape'. It was supposed to be a place for people to go and shop for books while having fun; it surprisingly had a great amount of income too.

He could feel the excitement growing inside of him, building almost to a climax, but had to refrain from the explosion. He just wanted to be with her, no matter the cost, though ultimately he knew it would have to end eventually. A devilish smirk curved his sensual lips; the sky cloudy as light rain began to fall, not fazing him in the slightest. If anything, the rain provided an almost seductive feel to this entire situation and what was about to transpire. Slipping into the darkest shadows just on the side of the bookstore, he waited for her patiently like always, having followed her home every night since he first laid eyes on her.

Though tonight, he would finally reveal himself.

Alani had just gotten done with her last customer of the night, Cynthia, who was a favorite of the bookstore and often came in during her nights off from the club she worked at. She absolutely loved to read, it was a way for her to escape and that's exactly what the bookstore implied, exactly what Alani wanted from her customers. They were also good friends, often leaving together to go grab coffee and whatnot, though tonight all Alani wanted to do was go home.

It was going on nine o'clock and Alani opened her bookstore at eight AM every day, including Sundays, because surprisingly that's when most of her business happened. Sundays were the one day out of the week where most people didn't work and ventured out to shop, gallivant, do whatever their hearts desired, including visiting 'The Escape'. Alani honestly didn't mind because she adored her bookstore, having worked exceptionally hard to open it up. She'd been going for five years, starting the tender age of twenty-one, and never went to college.

In her mind, college was just an escape from reality and nothing more.

The crisp night air flowed over her as she stepped out, wearing a simple black chiffon black skirt that went just above her knees with a soft lavender top that had three quarter sleeves and a V shaped neckline, black pumps on her feet. Her long red hair was pulled back in a tight bun, though a few wisps had escaped throughout the day and fanned across her forehead and cheeks. She pulled her black leather jacket on and zipped it up, trying to get rid of the chill that suddenly shot down her spine. It was the early days of October, though Alani didn't expect it to get this cold so fast, having lived in New York City all of her life…in Manhattan to be more specific.

She sighed as gentle rain drops fell from the cloudy dark grey sky, small white puffs coming from her lips, vanishing moments later. Winter was definitely on the horizon and Alani inwardly groaned because fall was her favorite time of year; it never stayed around for long. Though, as much as Alani loved Manhattan, she longed and yearned to leave this place, wanting to experience life to the fullest, to do something more fulfilling with her life. It was depressing at times to Alani to know that she was just a bookstore owner and nothing more.

Not that she didn't love 'The Escape', but Alani craved more out of life, though kept all of her feelings well hidden.

What was life anyway?

Nothing at this point.

Sighing with a heavy heart, Alani began walking down the sidewalk to her small apartment that was just a few blocks away from the bookstore. Alani never spotted the shadow following her every move, though could sense a presence. For months now, she could feel eyes boring into her every night she left the bookstore to walk the three blocks home.

It had to be a man because he had shown himself once or twice to her, or so Alani thought, but it was in pure darkness to where she couldn't see him clearly. Her hair started whipping around her as the wind picked up considerably, the chill in the night heightening, knowing he was near. He had to be because the wind never grew so fast and sudden in speed unless he was close by.

Hell, he could be right next to her and Alani would never know it.

Footsteps sounded behind her, the gentle thumping of shoes against the concrete forcing Alani to stop dead in her tracks. She reached for her purse and pulled out a hand sized bottle of pepper spray, heart heartbeat thundering against her chest almost violently. Mentally counting to three, Alani whipped around, hoping to catch this stalker off track and sprayed without preamble, but nobody was there.

Sighing, Alani knew she was losing her mind, though refused to put the pepper spray away because someone had been following her lately. She wasn't stupid, highly intelligent in fact, and strong-willed. If this stranger wanted her, he would have a hell of a fight on his hands. Alani turned around and began walking again, not realizing that everything in her life was about to change forever.

"You should never turn your back on your lurkers." A dark voice stated from behind, making Alani freeze instantly, slowly willing her body to turn around to finally confront him. She licked her lips in pure anticipation, trying desperately not to let the fear completely swallow her whole.

Her big beautiful blue eyes filled with tears at the sight of him, scaring her nearly to death, paling under the dim streetlight. "W-What do you w-want?" She asked shakily, taking a few steps back, her mind screaming at her to run in the opposite direction.

However, something also told Alani that even if she did try to run, she wouldn't get far.

His demonic laughter echoed through the chilled night and empty New York street, loving the fear that radiated off of her in strong waves. It also swam in the depths of her hypnotic blue eyes and he began circling her slowly like a predator contemplating how best to take his prey. "What a waste of such a delicate human. I thought your mind would've figured out by now what I want from you, my sweet Alani." Her name rolled off of his tongue in a seductive caress.

Her entire body reacted to the sound of his voice, forcing Alani to submit to his every whim and command. The strange thing about this entire situation was that Alani actually enjoyed him talking to her instead of being watched. It proved that she wasn't completely insane and losing her mind, that he really did exist. What did he mean by calling her a human? He had to be human, right? Alani's mind ran away with her, gulping nervously and clasped her hands tightly together, trying to slow her racing heart.

"What do you mean by being a waste of a human? Are you not?" She asked as calmly as she could, chewing her bottom lip.

"No, I'm far from a human, Alani." That same tone of voice answered, finally stopping right behind her, the shirt she wore giving him perfect access to the bare flesh of her neck.

He could feel the need coursing through every inch of his huge body, craving to taste her, and had for the past few months. However, he willed the craving to simmer because he didn't want to frighten Alani anymore than what she already was. He had to admit it was a different feeling to not want to frighten his victim before taking them for his own survival.

"What are you then and what's your name?" Alani asked, feeling his rather cool breath on her neck, sending shivers shooting down her spine.

She tensed immediately when his hand came out to brush some hair away from her neck, placing it over her opposite shoulder. Something long and slick slid up her neck and Alani closed her eyes, tears slipping down her cheeks, her entire body beginning to tremble as the fear began consuming her. A small gasp escaped her lips when a strong arm encircled her waist, pressing her back against a strong cold chest; the trembling increased tenfold and made Alani's teeth chatter.

His groans of great satisfaction scared her even more, but Alani was paralyzed under his touch. The brute strength radiating from his huge strong body -especially the arm that held her firmly in place and prevented her from running away- and the sheer power made her extremely weak. It almost felt like she was no longer in control of her own body, which scared Alani more than anything else.

Her body melted uncontrollably against his tongue running up the length of her neck, tasting her skin, knowing this was very wrong. Alani couldn't stop though. Even the smallest moan escaping her lips forced an animalistic growl to escape his own. Whatever he called himself, Alani was allowing him to do anything he wanted because that's all her body could give, completely powerless against him.

He found her pulse point, feeling that craving completely overtaking all other rational thought, knowing he had to take her now. He couldn't wait any longer, though the feeling of her melting and surrendering against him made a twinge of guilt form in the pit of his stomach. He growled when he couldn't take her, suddenly having a conscience, wondering what the hell was wrong with him.

What was it about Alani that made him weak?

Pushing her away from him, Alani immediately turned around to face him, confusion swimming in those hypnotic blue eyes. That's when she seen exactly what he looked like, the street light giving just enough power to reveal him for the first time, making her nearly gape at him in shock. The man was absolutely breathtaking and Alani suddenly felt lightheaded, blue clashing with darkened forest green eyes clouded over with what she could only assume lust.

He stood nearly seven feet tall and built of pure solid muscle. His long black hair was pulled back in a low tail at the nape of his neck, his arms covered from shoulder to wrist in tattoos. He wore a black leather vest that was currently open, revealing his muscular chest, along with skintight black jeans that hugged his powerful thighs and hips, black boots on his feet. He was possibly the most gorgeous man she'd ever laid her eyes on, human or not, and Alani felt herself being pulled in by his gaze alone.

The eyes were what got her the most.

"Why do you push me away?" She finally asked breathlessly, finding the ability to talk and sighed when the man turned away from her.

He was struggling very hard with inner demons and gripped the top of his hair in his hands, pure frustration radiating from his body, not believing this was happening. He couldn't take her. His body was dying for some nourishment and the only way to do that was drinking blood.

Her blood.

He finally regained some sort of sense and turned back to face her, eyes returning to a shade of emerald green. "Get out of here before I do something that I'll regret later, Alani." He ordered, pointing down the street.

"Not until I find out what your name is or what people call you." She stated stubbornly, blinking several times, wondering what was going through this man's mind.

Knowing that was coming and prepared for it, he took a deep breath as he stared down at the woman who was supposed to be his victim. "The only thing you need to know about me is the name Taker." With that last statement, he vanished into thin air right before Alani's eyes, watching from a distance as she headed down the sidewalk toward her apartment, scowling darkly.

"What the fuck is wrong with me? Why couldn't I take her?" He growled out to the silence, shaking his head before heading into the dark night, needing to find another potential victim to feed his hunger and thirst.

All he could think about was the taste of Alani's skin on his tongue, craving only her blood. The mere thought caused shivers to overtake his body as he brutally ripped apart a homeless woman. When he had his fill, which wasn't appetizing since she was a drug addict, he looked up at the sky, the sun slowly beginning to rise on the horizon. He made it home in seconds, crawling into bed as the exhaustion completely hit him, the redheaded beauty Alani still firmly on his mind. He had to talk to the others about her tomorrow night at their meeting, pinching the bridge of his nose, already knowing it wasn't going to go over well.

Across town, Alani had arrived back in her apartment and immediately stripped out of her clothes, slipping into a blue negligee. Thoughts of the man Taker plagued every part of her mind, Alani not able to push him out no matter how hard she tried. She brushed her teeth and hair, sighing deeply, wondering if she would ever see him again. Alani could still feel his tongue on her neck, touching the spot where he had teased her, somewhat flushing at the memory.

It was almost as if he branded her or something.

"Enough of this nonsense." Alani scolded herself and set the brush down, climbing into her queen sized four poster bed, turning the nightstand lamp off as the room fell into darkness.

Within moments, Alani was fast asleep with Taker haunting her dreams.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Morley looked at her husband, Randy, with intense blood lust filled eyes, licking her lips in pure anticipation for what was about to go down at the meeting. Something was going on with Mark, everyone knew it, and Morley was going to find out even if it killed her. Mark had been in a daze that whole night, deep in his own thoughts and Morley was curious about the reasoning. She finally spoke up when her husband refused to talk about it, standing right in front of him.

"Mark, what has you so preoccupied this evening?" She asked solemnly, hating these meetings because all she wanted to do was be with her husband privately, to feel his touch against her.

Mark sighed deeply, running a hand through his short black hair, wishing he had answers for Morley. All his mind could think about was the redhead and it bothered him that he couldn't take her as his victim. It had boggled his mind trying to figure it out since the night before; no other woman had ever haunted his dreams while he slept, but Alani had.

So far, Mark came up completely empty.

"I don't know if you'd understand, Mor." He finally answered after a few minutes of silence, trying to get his thoughts in order, pushing Alani in the far recesses of his mind.

Morley quirked an eyebrow, wondering what he meant by that, and folded her arms in front of her chest stubbornly. "How do you know we wouldn't understand you, Mark, if you don't trust enough to tell us?" She retorted swiftly, knowing she made a very valid point.

Mark growled and stood up from the table, making all of the members stiffen, their eyes wide with shock and apprehension. "It's none of your business. I'll deal with this on my own, but I do have one question."

"What is it, brother?" Randy asked softly, wrapping an arm around Morley's waist, sighing when she simply pushed him away.

He was built like a stallion, standing at six foot five made of pure muscle. He had short cropped soft black hair and penetrating blue eyes that could pierce anyone. His attire was a simple pair of blue jeans with a black shirt that hugged his muscular tattooed sleeved arms, chest and torso perfectly. He was very neatly groomed with a smooth face, rarely appearing unless he looked flawless.

"Have any of you ever revealed yourself to a human and let them live?" Mark asked rather bluntly, staring out the window into the night, wondering what Alani was doing at that moment.

A round of gasps sounded throughout the group of vampires, making Mark's head drop, whispering instantly following. He knew he'd made a mistake, a fatal mistake, and could feel Morley's angry violet colored eyes boring into his back. He felt as though he might burst into flames and not in a good way, knowing Morley was extremely angry.

Morley's anger was at an all time high, eyes flashing and narrowing to slits with flaring nostrils. "No, Marcus, none of us have ever done that before because that's not what our kind does." She stated through gritted teeth, wondering if he'd truly lost his mind. "You better tell us exactly what happened and why you didn't take whoever this woman was as your dinner!"

"What makes you assume it was a woman, Mor?" Mark shot back in a retort, head snapping around to stare at her hardening, green eyes flashing dangerously with hidden rage. He absolutely despised being called by his full name, growling from low in his throat. "I told you not to call me that."

Randy growled at his friend, not believing what was happening and what he was hearing, standing up from the chair he'd been sitting in instantly. "Tell us what you did, Marcus!" He ordered angrily, feeling as though he might attack along with his wife.

"The name is Mark and if I don't wanna discuss what I did then I won't!" Mark snapped, clenching his fists tightly at his sides, wondering why he even mentioned anything in the first place. He knew they would overreact and pinched the bridge of his nose, sheer irritation overtaking his features. His complexion was pale, as all the others, but there was something hidden behind his eyes that could not be missed by Morley or Randy.

Randy placed a hand on his wife's shoulder, making her turn around to stare up into his hypnotic blue eyes. "Let me handle this, my love. I do believe Mark has found himself a mate." He stated, causing her eyes to widen slightly, even though she knew her husband was right.

Morley took a few minutes to calm down, thanks to Randy's help; he always knew what to do to make her see reason. "Who is she, Mark?" She finally asked in a much softer voice, turning around to face him, walking over to where Mark stood. They were best friends and it was Mark who introduced Morley to Randy, which she was forever grateful for.

Mark sighed as he stared back at Morley, all the anger slowly flooding out of her, considering her a little sister. "It doesn't matter." He finally said, clearing his throat. "She's not one of us so she can't be mine, period."

The sadness couldn't be missed in his tone of voice as Morley sighed deeply, knowing exactly what that statement meant. He had fallen for a mortal, a human that was considered food for their survival. Morley wanted Mark to be happy and he'd searched for centuries, knowing whoever this woman was had to be pretty special. She knew what had to be done, but decided to use her words carefully, not wanting to upset Mark further. This was a very delicate situation, especially since Mark had vowed to never put anyone through the amount of pain he did when he was changed.

"She can be though, Mark." Morley said after awhile, making all the other vampires scowl at her, but simply ignored them because all that mattered was Mark's happiness. She shot each of them an icy glare, violet eyes flaring slightly, warning them to keep their mouths shut if they knew what was good for them.

"No, I won't do that to her." Mark shook his head as he stared out the window, not letting one single tear that had formed in his eyes fall, flat out refusing to act like a crybaby. "She's too precious and innocent to be turned into a monster…"

Randy sighed, knowing Mark despised being a vampire, but nobody could stop that from happening. "We are not monsters, Mark." Randy stated, placing a hand on his shoulder. "We are simply another form of creatures who…"

"Who beat and kill innocent souls for our survival." Mark finished angrily, eyes clouded over with hidden rage and sorrow, thoughts of Alani entering his mind.

"At least let us meet her, Mark, and we can figure out what to do from there, but you cannot let her live if she's seen your face. It's not safe for our existence and you know that." Morley pointed out seriously, hating the words that came from her mouth, but also hoped it lit a fire beneath Mark.

Mark knew they were reading his mind and blocked them out instantly, not wanting to reveal he had indeed showed himself to Alani. "She hasn't seen me and never will. She's an angel and I'm a monster, bottom line." He hated lying to them, but it was the only way to ensure Alani's safety.

Randy's ears began turning red, trembling slightly, trying with everything inside of him not to explode. They were not monsters and he was tired of hearing Mark call them that, wanting to rip the man's dead heart out of his chest. "For the final time, Marcus, we are not monsters! Sure, we suck the life out of others, but that's what life is in general! You take life with death and we help keep that cycle going! It's just like cattle being slaughtered for the humans to eat!"

"I will NOT put her through what I suffered!" Mark growled back defiantly, not caring about anything else except protecting his angel, eyes shining with hatred for what he'd been transformed into to save his life. Acid quickly took over the emeralds; the sadness clearly still there because he couldn't be with Alani without turning her into what he was…a blood sucking killing machine.

Placing her hand on Mark's arm comfortingly, Morley decided to take a more subtle approach. "Yours was unplanned and painful, but if you made love to hr and turned her, then it could be the most pleasurable experience of her life. That's how Randy changed me. We made love and then he took what was his." She smirked evilly behind her shoulder at her husband, who licked his lips hungrily back at her. Lust swam in both of their eyes, which wasn't out of the normal, and knew neither of them would be going out to hunt this evening.

Mark shook his head and pushed her away gently but firmly, punching the wall as hard as he possibly could, his fist going right through it. "I WILL NOT CHANGE HER!" He bellowed out angrily, not caring if his hand was bleeding, though the damage was already healing. He stormed out of the room, ending the meeting abruptly, just wanting to be alone right now to reflect on his thoughts.

Morley and Randy could only watch him leave, both feeling completely helpless.

Morley cringed when she heard something slams hut and knew Mark had left for the evening, knowing he was confused about what was happening…about what he was feeling inside. "I really hope he can find someone to replace her." She said, feeling Randy's arms encircle her waist, pressing her back against his chest while his chin rested on his shoulder. "I just want him to be happy…"

"Whoever this woman is, my love, won't replace the love he already feels in his heart for her." Randy stated and scooped his wife in his arms princess style, nuzzling her neck affectionately, nipping at it with his sharp teeth. "Come on, enough of this, it's time for just the two of us." He watched Morley's eyes slowly drift shut, moaning out his name in pure need.

**~!~**

Mark scanned the town for hours, the words of Randy and Morley penetrating his mind, and sighed heavily. It was true; he couldn't deny it even if he wanted to. He was irrevocably in love with a human, a mortal, and that was forbidden in the vampire world unless she was changed, which wasn't going to happen.

He would not change his sweet, innocent angel into a blood thirsty monster. He had no choice or the opportunity of denial when he was changed into this hideous creature. Mark couldn't fathom even harming one hair on Alani's head, refusing to do it, knowing he would have to let her go and move on. His mind starting thinking about that fateful night that changed his life forever…the night he was changed into a vampire, forcing him to relive it, which happened more often than not.

Walking home from one of the clubs Mark went to frequently, Mark had been extremely tired and craved rest, just wanting some peace and tranquility. He enjoyed going out with his friends, but nothing compared to just going home and falling asleep in his bed. Mark didn't realize he would never be sleeping in his own bed again or hanging out with his friends. He would never again see the sunrise when getting up at the crack of dawn for work or eat regular food again, his favorite being a nice juicy thick steak with a baked potato. Mark took all of this for granted…life in general…and so much more that he couldn't think of at the moment, the memory completely sweeping him away. Mark had to stop and noticed a gang fight ensuing in a darkened alleyway, but had to stop because he was dizzy from the shots of Tequila his friends forced him to do.

That's when the unthinkable happened.

A gunshot suddenly sounded throughout the night, scaring both members of the gangs, the bullet piercing Mark in the back, right in his left lung. He hit the ground instantly as blood began pouring from him, feeling the life draining from his body as short breaths escaped his lips. Blood had started climbing up his esophagus, spilling from the corner of his mouth as he laid there in complete shock, staring up at the midnight sky, rain beginning to fall.

This was it.

He was going to die.

Suddenly, out of thin air, someone landed beside him within seconds, seeing the man before him as piercing blue eyes scanned the streets, the gang war deflating at once. He sighed and kneeled down beside the human, his green eyes filled with both fear and death…the creature knew he did not have much time to react or think. He just had to go on instinct and that was either kill like he should or do the improbable.

"Do not fear, you will not die; only resurrected into something much more." He whispered in Mark's ear, grasping the man's cold hand as he began shivering, knowing there was absolutely no time to waste.

Mark didn't know what to do or think, still in complete shock, not even hearing what this creature was telling him. He saw the glint of white teeth, but that was it, the pain from the gunshot incomparable to what he felt moments later. Sharp teeth pierced his neck and Mark tried struggling, but all he could do was lay there completely paralyzed while his blood was drained from his body. He was released as the creature slit his wrist with his long sharp nail, holding the wrist up to Mark's mouth, who was on his deathbed.

"No…"

"Drink and live forever." The creature whispered urgently, looking around in frantic, and suddenly thrust his wrist into Mark's mouth as he began to drink. "That's it, just drink…"

Through half lidded eyes and coughing profusely, Mark began to drink the blood unwillingly, not wanting to die at that moment. As soon as the venom began working its way through his body, Mark felt his soul being stolen from him. The venom traveled through his veins, making him writhe in pain on the ground, and all he could hear was the voice that assured him he would be fine. He kept drifting in and out of consciousness, only remembering part of what happened, though that was the gist of what transpired that night.

"Relax; it's only temporary and your soul being taken from you. You will live forever now."

Mark's thoughts jolted as he looked up at the night sky, having vowed to find the one responsible for shooting him. He never did find out who changed him that night, though one thing was certain and that was Mark blamed the gangs for what happened to him, no matter if it was in the early 1900's or not. He knew the bastard was dead and hoped he was burning in the eight circles of hell. Noticing a man fleeing from a jewelry store, anger burned in Mark's eyes as he swooped down, pouncing on the robber moments later. Through screams of fright, Mark drained the man of life, knowing he deserved it before shoving him in a dumpster and headed back to the mansion.

Alani never left his mind.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"We must act fast. The child can't be turned before we have a crack at her, my minions." David stated with a scowl on his face, pacing back and forth, the huge fireplace crackling ominously behind him.

The visions had come more frequent now, which concerned him to no avail.

She was the most gorgeous mortal he'd ever laid eyes on and knew he had to have her for his own. It was just her beauty, but what she wore around her neck that captivated him most. It was a crystal that could destroy all of his kind if not careful, which gave him the only solution to the problem: get her on his side.

The crystal to be more specific. Her long flowing red hair and bright blue eyes haunted his dreams night in and out, causing several problems physically for David to say the least. He sighed deeply, tapping his fingers on the armrest of the chair, staring into the fire broodingly.

"I have the perfect timing when this can take place. It has to be flawless, no mistakes."

"Where at, my master?" A fellow minion named Jordan asked, bowing her head in respect for him, sighing when he lifted her chin with his strong hand.

A twisted slow smirk formed on his lips as David considered her, tilting his head to the side, staring in the silver eyes of Jordan. "Hollow's Eve is upon us in just a few short weeks. That will give me plenty of time to prepare for the festivities that shall take place on the night of Halloween."

Jordan swallowed past the lump that formed in her throat, not understand what her dark master meant by that statement. "What shall be done on that night, my master?" She asked timidly, hoping she hadn't stepped over the line with him already.

"I shall marry the one that holds our fate in her hands and take back what rightfully belongs to ME!" He announced in an icy voice, smirking when Jordan nodded in agreement without hesitation. "Now, onto better things in our immortal lives. Have you reached the one they call the night crawler?" David demanded, causing Jordan to slowly shake her head, knowing that was a mistake.

"N-Not at the moment, my master. He's been very hard to catch and very fast, but I will try again this evening to retrieve him for you. He will either join our side or die in the battle." Jordan assured, her tone dangerous, making David smile wickedly as he brushed his lips against hers. For the moment, Jordan knew she was in the clear and decided to take full advantage of it.

When he pulled away, Jordan had a huge smile on her face, though it vanished and she winced as David buried his hand in her hair, crushing his lips brutally against hers. She couldn't help or do anything else but respond, moaning softly when his tongue slipped inside her mouth, loving the taste of her master. Their tongues dueled together and, just as Jordan began wrapping her arms around his neck, David pulled away abruptly, shoving her backwards.

"Leave now." He ordered gravely, breathing heavy. "I need my rest."

Jordan stumbled back and bowed her head as always, turning to leave like she was told, but David had a change of heart so to speak.

"Jordan."

She instantly stopped and turned to face him with those glowing silver eyes, swallowing hard. "What is it, my master?" She asked obediently.

"On second thought, meet me in my chambers within the hour." David commanded darkly, making Jordan shiver with pure anticipation, absolutely no fear coming from her. It would be a brutal sexual encounter with her master and Jordan felt obliged to be chosen for it.

"Yes, my master." She then walked out to prep herself for her master, hoping he enjoyed what she wore for that evening. After they were finished, then she would go out and search for the night crawler, knowing that was her master's top priority, though he also had needs that couldn't be ignored.

Needs she could help him with.

**~!~**

Randy paced frantically in his chambers, feeling something horrible was coming their way. He didn't understand the feeling of dread, but ever since Mark mentioned Alani's name, something sort of snapped inside of him. He started having nightmares, which simply didn't happen, but they involved his family being completely destroyed…because of this human girl.

"What could it be?" He wondered aloud, running a hand through his hair in frustration, almost growling.

Morley had felt her husband leave the bed, knowing something was bothering him, but also knew better than to disturb his thought process. He was deep in thought about something and she just wished he would open up to talk to her about it. It was striking the hour of four AM and Morley was becoming restless to say the least, frustrated as well. She finally cleared her throat after another half an hour had passed, chewing her bottom lip.

"Randy, please come to bed." She nearly pleaded, sitting on her knees. "You can't possibly do anymore pacing or the floor will cave in beneath you."

"Leave me alone!" He growled out, turning to face her with narrowed ice cold eyes, just wanting to think without her interference. "Don't you understand that a danger is heading our way?! I have to think, Morley, damn it!"

"Yes I do understand, but you can't stand there and keep pacing! You're making me crazy and besides, I can give you an exercise if that is what you want." Morley offered in a dark, seductive tone of voice, moving to run her hands up his strong muscular tattooed sleeved arms, violet eyes locking with his. "Just let me release some of your stress, my love."

For the first time since they'd been married, Randy pushed her away, shaking his head. "Not now, Morley. I have to figure out what this danger is, I can't be distracted right now. I have a feeling they are searching for one of our own and I won't allow any of our family to disappear from us!" Randy had to be strong and levelheaded, which wasn't easy by any means when it came to his insanely beautiful wife.

Morley sighed heavily as she sat back on the bed, her hands slipping away from his arms, the blood red sheets covering her torso while her full voluptuous breasts were clearly in his vision. He didn't care or notice, which unnerved her because that meant whatever this danger held wasn't good. She also knew something was coming, which is why she just wanted to be distracted by her husband the only way he could.

When Randy and Morley married and became one, he had given her part of his powers, including his ability to see visions and sense danger coming. Something definitely wasn't right. Morley was going to look into it, especially since she had a sinking suspicion it had something to do with this mortal human that Mark simply couldn't stop seeking out for the past few months.

'He's putting all of us in danger by seeking her and it has to stop.' Morley thought, slipping from the bed, and forced her husband to pay attention to her.

**~!~**

A few nights later, Alani had just gotten home from the bookstore and went straight to bed. Alani changed into a floor length spaghetti strapped white nightgown that was sheer for the most part, dipping low, and the top lace while the rest pure silk. She laid in bed sleeping peacefully, her soft long black eyelashes gently resting on her cheeks.

The blanket covered her up to the waist while one of her hands rested comfortably on her stomach, the other thrown above her head on the pillow. Her hair splayed all around her across the pillow and over her shoulders, fanning her perfect delicate face. A beautiful crystal her mother had given her at birth hung around her neck on a strong black necklace.

Mark watched her from the balcony window, perched on the ledge with ease which seemed like an eternity, and couldn't help admiring her beauty. She looked so innocent and peaceful while she slept, like an angel…an angel he didn't deserve. Sighing heavily, Mark jumped from the balcony ledge and landed softly on the carpeted floor of her bedroom, scanning it, smirking at the detailed work it involved.

The walls were painted a dark midnight blue with black woodwork and all of the furniture was made of pure cherry oak wood. Her carpet was black plush so it blended with the woodwork, her ceiling black as well. There was an entertainment center right in front of the four poster queen sized bed and it had a flat screen TV along with other appliances Mark wasn't familiar with. Her bed had midnight blue silk sheets and a comforter that probably kept her warm at night. He wanted to be that comforter and wrap her up in the darkness of his world, but he couldn't.

She was too innocent and beautiful to change.

Slowly walking over to her, Mark saw her pale complexion in the moonlight that streamed in the room from her balcony, illuminating the rest of her body in a soft white glow. Her full red lips were screaming out to Mark, begging for him to capture them, making Mark lick his lips hungrily. He felt his breath catch in his throat when he heard her mumble something in a sweet angelic voice, obviously dreaming.

"Mmm Taker…" Alani's soft moan echoed throughout the room, ringing in Mark's ears, and he watched her move a little in bed. His eyes widened slightly when her hand that rested on her stomach slowly began sliding beneath the comforter, a soft smile gracing her lips. "Mmm right there, my dark prince…"

Mark couldn't believe what he was hearing and seeing, wondering why she was dreaming of him. He hadn't impacted her that much, had he? He watched the movement beneath the comforter, suddenly bunching it up in his strong hand, pulling it gently away from her body, watching with smoked filled green eyes as she pleasured herself because of him. Her hand drifted beneath the white silk panties she wore, her nightgown having bunched up around her hips with all of her moving around, her finger brushing against the soft flesh.

Suddenly, a wicked smile formed on his lips and Mark couldn't resist joining her in bed, of course not waking her. He gently laid beside her, his mouth right by her ear, cool breath caking it. "I'm here, my beautiful angel." He whispered, dying to touch her, feeling as though he might burst into flames when another moan escaped her.

Alani knew this was a dream and never wanted to wake up from it, feeling his strong muscular hands trailing down her body. He slowly pulled her hand from her soft flesh and felt his thumbs hook in the waistband of her panties, pulling them down her long tanned legs, lifting her hips just enough to allow it. His lips instantly followed, sealing to her soft neck, kissing and licking her pulse point with his soft tongue. It felt incredible, Alani instantly melting against him and lighting completely on fire, just wanting to feel him against her as long as possible.

Little did Alani know this was not a dream, but Mark wasn't about to destroy this opportunity to touch her, hovering over his angel, his cold hand trailing down her warm skin. Alani gasped at the contact of his finger touching her wet sex, bucking her hips against him, moaning uncontrollably. Mark slid his finger past her moist folds, feeling her grow more aroused instantly, and Alani gripped the bedding below, her nails digging into the bed sheets.

"Oh Taker!"

The sound of her cries in ecstasy seared into Mark's mind and heart as he began thrusting his finger deeper within her, feeling her walls instantly contract. He could hear her heart pounding vigorously in her chest and smirked, knowing she was close, especially from the sweat that began coating her body. Mark craved for Alani to just let go and release, to give herself completely to him, taking whatever he could without actually changing her. The harder his thrusts became, the closer Alani came to climaxing as her body arched off the bed, eyes still closed, knowing she thought this was all an erotic dream.

If only she knew just how real it was.

"Release, my Alani." He commanded in her ear, whispering in a husky voice.

A whimper escaped her lips when Alani felt her thighs tense and something flowed through her abdomen, knowing it was her orgasm building. She bucked her hips again one final time and couldn't take it anymore, crying out his name as her climax crashed over her. Her sweet essence flowed from her body right into his mouth, Mark quick to replace his finger with his mouth, needing to taste her. Her chest rose and fell sporadically, little beads of sweat on her forehead, slowly beginning to awaken.

"I need you, Taker." She whispered out, a few tears slipping down her cheeks because, in the dream, he was disappearing before her eyes. "Please don't leave me…"

Mark groaned inwardly at her confession, pulling away from her delicious sex reluctantly, and leaned up to run his finger down her cheek. He caught a tear on his finger and popped it in his mouth, savoring the taste as his own eyes closed momentarily, knowing she would be waking up soon for work. It was going on four o'clock in the morning, Alani was scheduled to wake up at five. The sun would be rising soon and Mark knew he would have to leave his sweet angel for now, vowing to return to her. He kissed up her neck to her earlobe, once again his mouth right by her ear, wanting to assure her he would come back.

"Soon, my beautiful angel, soon." With that said, Mark snapped his fingers and was gone just as Alani bolted upright in bed, breathing extremely heavy, looking around her room.

"What the hell? Damn what a dream…" Alani murmured to the silence, shivering slightly from the aftershocks, laughing softly. "I don't even know who this man is and I'm dreaming about him constantly. What is wrong with me?" Slowly slipping from bed, Alani padded into the bathroom to take a shower, the bookstore opening in just two hours.

He waited on the balcony until he felt the heat rise in the air, knowing he had to leave, but not before glancing at her one final time as she emerged from the bathroom. 'I will return soon, angel.' He vowed in thought before vanishing into thin air, a cool air flowing through the balcony door into her room, making Alani shiver again.

Her head turned toward the balcony and slowly walked out on it, the towel wrapped securely around her body along with a robe, adverting her eyes to the ledge. She gasped, feeling something prickly against her wrist, and lifted the beautiful blood red rose. She slowly picked it up and lifted it to her nose, the scent instantly making her sigh in contentment, touching the soft petals with delicate fingers. Not only the scent of the rose caught her, but his did as well, the mixture of musk, leather and gasoline.

He'd been there and she didn't even know it.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Alani never felt so relieved to close the bookstore and head home in all her years of running the place. It had been exceptionally quiet, especially after finding out that one of her customers had been brutally murdered the previous night. She felt sick after hearing that news and just wanted to go home, tears already sliding down her cheeks. His name was Ron and he was truly a great man with a great family.

Ron would come into the bookstore once a week to bring Alani a plate of his latest dish, owning a restaurant just down the street from her, and would always purchase a book. Alani wiped her tears away while fishing in her purse for the key to her apartment, sniffling slightly, already calling in flowers to send to the family for condolence. Sighing with relief when she felt the key in her hand, Alani slipped it into the door and pushed it open, kicking the door shut behind her.

She'd stopped at a nearby liquor store on her way home that was open twenty four seven to purchase a bottle of wine, thinking tonight called for it. After shutting the door and locking it behind her, Alani slipped out of her shirt and pants on her way to the bathroom, especially needing a soak in her white garden bathtub, deciding it would be a bubble bath. She sat on the edge of the tub and reached over, her hand turning the silver faucet handles, and groaned inwardly when hot water ran over her hands.

She quickly grabbed the pomegranate scented bubble bath and poured some of it in the water, swishing it around with her hand, setting the bottle to the side while her garden tub slowly filled up. Alani removed her clothes, poured herself a glass of wine and lit some candles before shutting the lights off, giving the bathroom a soft dark glow. She stepped inside the tub and sank beneath the hot water, allowing it to completely envelope her entire body, closing her eyes as she turned to putty.

After soaking for an hour and two glasses of wine, along with shedding some tears for Ron, Alani slipped out of the bath and changed into black garments with a black mid-thigh negligee that went to mid-thigh. She just began brushing her hair when the balcony doors suddenly flew open, Taker standing before her in the flesh. Alani's back was facing him and she didn't even have to turn around to see him, knowing who it was. That intoxicating scent of his permeated the room, causing her body to relax even more. He came up behind her, wrapping those strong muscular tattooed sleeved arms around her waist, pulling her back tight against his chest, his chin resting on her shoulder.

"So we meet again."

Mark smirked at the sound of her voice, noticing she hadn't turned the light on her nightstand on, sighing almost in contentment. "I heard your thoughts and came as soon as I could find the time." He whispered in her ear, voice husky. "So what can I do for my beautiful angel this evening?"

Alani could feel the cool breath on her neck, sending shivers of desire down her spine, closing her eyes to relish this feeling. "You can tell me why you killed that innocent man in the alleyway last night." She then pulled away from him and turned around, staring into his eyes hardening.

Confused by what she said, Mark looked at her, seeing the hurt and hatred swimming through her blue eyes, feeling his chest constrict tightly. "Don't look at me like that, Alani. It kills me all over again to see that look on your face. I didn't kill anyone last night…" Mark had a firm belief in killing only those who deserved it, such as the robber two nights ago.

"Bullshit Taker, you killed him by sucking the life out of him for your own needs! He was one of my most trusted and loyal customers with a family and growing business and you or one of your kind had to take his life!" Alani could already feel the tears streaking down her cheeks again, wiping them away because she didn't want to show any emotion toward this…creature.

Mark sighed and slowly walked toward her, feeling her trembling when his cold hand came in contact with her cheek, wiping away the tears that broke his dead heart. "I didn't kill him, my angel. After I came to see you last night, I left and went straight back to my home. I didn't feed last night because you were all the hunger I needed. Please believe me…" He nearly pleaded, not wanting her to think of him as a murdering monster, even though Mark knew the truth. Though he was telling the truth, he hadn't fed the previous night due to staying too long even after he was finished pleasuring Alani, just wanting to watch her.

"W-What do you want from me?" Alani asked shakily, seeing the truth shining in his eyes, but that didn't make her any less comfortable being around him. So he had been there the previous night…what happened hadn't been a dream. She trembled under his touch, chewing her bottom lip nervously, knowing he wasn't here without a reason.

"I want to show you something. I want to take you away from here for a little while tonight. My brother would like to speak with you about something." Mark explained as his eyes dropped down to the crystal necklace around her neck. It was V shaped and had a very sharp point, the crystal radiating a deep rich amber.

Randy had spoken to Mark about Alani again, wanting to know everything he could possibly find out about her. That's when Mark mentioned the necklace he'd spotted Alani wearing, having known about it for several months, but didn't think anything of it. That was until he saw it glow one evening while he watched her sleep, the previous night had been the first time he actually made a move to touch her. The mention of this crystal intrigued Randy greatly and he started searching through the books of the mansion's lair for any answers.

He finally found it.

The myth of the Amber Crystal.

In the book, it stated that whoever had possession of this stone could control the vampire world with just the sound of their voice. It was originally made to be the balance between the world of good and evil vampires, but was handed to a mortal baby girl before her mother was turned into a vampire. The baby was handed over to her mother's sister, Nicole Johnson, who was also a mortal and taken into hiding until she turned the age of sixteen. From there, the girl would grow with the necklace being worn around her neck at all times, never removing it.

However, the myth also stated that a dark one would be after the crystal, though it didn't state who exactly. He would try to change the girl into a vampire and steal the crystal from her, which is the only way the crystal could be removed without any repercussions. Basically, the crystal would reign over the entire vampire world, no matter where, and that's what the dark one wanted.

It sounded pretty generic, though this was a myth dated back for centuries upon centuries. The crystal was the key to their survival because, if the dark one got his hands on Alani and changed her, that would mean the end of the family. Mark and Randy couldn't let that happen, which is why they had to bring Alani to their side, to hopefully convince her to be changed so they could lock away the crystal forever.

Randy knew that the dark one was on his way to conquering his quest to find the Amber Crystal, which is what the danger had been he'd had nightmares about for the past few days. Randy had to find out if indeed this was Amber Carlisle's daughter and the crystal that held the key to their survival. The Amber Crystal had been in her family for centuries and, if this was her daughter who was carrying on the family tradition of balancing the vampire worlds, then Randy had to do everything in his power to convince her of her destiny.

After reading on this for quite awhile, Randy finally closed the book and looked up at Mark urgently. "Bring her to me." He ordered gravely. "We have to find out if this indeed is Amber's daughter."

Alani looked at Mark confused and slowly took a step back from him, crying out softly when he grabbed her wrist in his incredibly strong hand. Her chest pressed against his, though Alani began struggling, completely terrified of him as tears fell from her beautiful blue eyes. "Please leave me alone!" She cried out softly, swallowing hard.

"I won't hurt you, Alani." He promised, trying to soothe her fears the best way he knew how, his head dipping to put his mouth right by her ear. "I could never hurt you even if my existence depended on it, darlin'. Nothing will happen to you, I promise. Please come meet my brother, my family, you'll be completely safe."

Alani slowly looked up in those hypnotic emerald green eyes, knowing he would never hurt her and sighed, finally giving in. "Alright, I'll come tomorrow night after I get home from the bookstore. What time should I be ready?" She asked, feeling the exhaustion overtaking her body and gasped softly when Mark lifted her up in his strong arms princess style, carrying her over to the bed.

Mark smiled at her softly, gently placing her on top of the soft bed, brushing his lips feather lightly against her forehead. "You'll never see me coming." He winked at her as he covered her up with the comforter, knowing she was very tired from an emotionally draining day. "Can I kiss you?" He whispered, his lips hovering just over hers, staring down into her angelic face, knowing if he had a beating heart it would probably be flying out of his chest right about now. "Alani…"

"Yes." She whispered, slowly nodding her head, their eyes locked.

Mark didn't need to be told twice and lowered his head, capturing her soft sweet lips in a passionate kiss, groaning at the softness her lips brought forth. He could feel the desire coursing through his veins, the urging and longing to take her for his own in every way…to change her. A soft moan escaped her lips as her hands slid up his muscular arms to wrap hers around his neck, pulling him closer to her. Slowly breaking the kiss, Mark's lips ran along her jaw, the softness of her skin overtaking every rational thought, running his strong hands up and down her beautiful body, feeling her curves.

Alani moaned against his touch, Mark lighting her completely on fire and knew he could feel her pulse racing as the tip of his tongue grazed it on her neck. Feeling the blood lust slowly beginning to take over, Mark pulled away abruptly, refusing to hurt her in any way, shape or form. He stood up from the bed and stared into her confused blue eyes, running a finger down her cheek.

"I must go. I will see you tomorrow night though." He assured her, leaning down to brush his lips against hers reassuringly. "Sweet dreams, my angel."

Alani watched him walk on her balcony, immediately following him, and looked down as another blood red rose was left behind. "Until tomorrow." She whispered, knowing now more than ever the previous night had really happened, that it wasn't a dream.

Mark flew through the skies searching and longing for a victim to satisfy his unbearable craving. He frowned, hearing a woman's scream sound in his head, eyes narrowing to slits when he spotted a man walking out of an apartment building, zipping his jeans up. He could feel the woman's pain and cries, hearing them in his head, and knew the man had raped her. She couldn't have been more than sixteen years of age and this pathetic excuse for a human being had taken her innocence without blinking. Anger surged through Mark's body as he swept down, landing on the ground right in front of him just as he was about to get in his car.

"You will pay for taking her innocence." Mark didn't feel any remorse from this man, knowing the woman would die, already feeling her life slipping away from her as sirens could be heard in the far distance. "You do know that is unforgivable to take something so precious, right?" Mark's voice dropped an octave lower as the man slowly began backing up from him, holding them up in surrender, but still had that same sick smirk on his face.

The man looked at Mark for a long moment before cackling wickedly, transforming into a beautiful woman, standing at just five foot ten. "Little boy, you need to learn your place, you pathetic imbecile!" She growled, licking her lips of the blood she'd taken from the girl upstairs.

Mark's eyes narrowed dangerously, wondering who this bitch was. "Who are you and what do you want?" He demanded gravely, folding his arms in front of his chest.

"I'm searching for the one who holds the fate of both of our worlds in her hands." The woman answered, seeing the anger glistening in Mark's eyes, knowing he knew exactly who she was talking about.

In one swift move, Mark had the woman pinned against the brick wall of the apartment building, growling dangerously. "Stay away from her." He ordered in a tone that left no room for argument. "She is no concern of yours."

Jordan shoved him away as hard as she could, her strength nearly matching his, an evil look gracing her beautiful face. "Oh contraire, she does. She has every bit of concern on my part as well as my master." Licking her lips hungrily, Jordan knew she was one step closer to finding the mortal. Indeed her master would be incredibly pleased with her and no doubt would give Jordan a reward.

"What's your name?" Mark demanded angrily, wanting to snap this bitch's neck in two. "Tell me NOW!"

Straightening her thin skirt and tank top, Jordan planted her hands on her hips. "All you need to know is the name is Jordan. Now if you'll excuse me, I must continue tracking down the one my master needs."

Mark wasn't about to let that happen unless his existence ended, beginning to chase after her. As fast as Jordan was, Mark was faster and caught her, not wasting a second as his fangs sank into her neck, draining the blood out of her. It was unspeakable to kill one of his kind and Mark wasn't going to do it. Instead, he would take her back to Randy to let him deal with her, knowing the woman was indeed one of them so Mark couldn't finish the job…yet.

"The ONLY place you're going is back to the mansion with me. My brother can deal with you, but you will NOT touch her!" Mark growled in her ear, feeling Jordan's body grow limp in his arms and carried her back to the mansion.

After dropping her off to Randy and Morley, Mark went right back to watch over Alani, knowing now her life was in danger from whoever this master was of Jordan's. He would do whatever it took to protect his angel, at any cost, even if it meant ending him completely. He sat outside of Alani's balcony doors, watching her sleep peacefully, deciding right then and there he was her night protector. He would be there every night from here on out until this situation blew over…if it ever did.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

No matter how hard she tried to sleep that night, Alani couldn't to save her life and groaned in frustration. She tossed and turned, wondering what Taker's brother wanted with her and looked down at the beautiful crystal that hung around her neck. She remembered hearing stories from her aunt about how her mother entrusted it to her before she was killed in that horrific car accident.

Alani was just a baby and only remembered her mother through the crystal; pictures, home videos before she was born and special letters her mother left for her specifically. It was almost as if Amber knew she was going to die. Alani didn't even cry when her aunt told her years after the accident about how her mother died because she hardly knew the woman to begin with. All she knew was that her mother's name was Amber Carlisle, which was Alani's last name.

Alani Carlisle.

Sighing, Alani finally stood up from bed, seeing the sun peeking over the horizon, and decided she couldn't go to that place alone with Taker. As much as she wanted him in every way possible, she trusted him about as far as she could throw him…if that. No, Alani needed reassurance that her life wasn't going to be taken from her, actually afraid of death. She wanted to live with a beating heart and soul, not some immortal walking the earth clueless without a pulse.

It just wasn't happening.

Alani chewed her bottom lip and wondered who she could call to come with her to Taker's place. She was out of her mind to even consider going with him, but something told her it had to do with her mother. If Alani could figure out the mystery that always surrounded her mother's past, then maybe she could come understand why Amber gave her up to her sister.

"Carly…" Alani whispered, a light bulb clicking on in her brain, knowing C.C. wouldn't let anything happen to her. Carly was Alani's big sister in spirit, though they were best friends and called each other family. Carly's last name also began with a C, so that's why Alani simply called her C.C., finding it rather adorable.

Carly groaned and reached over to grab her blaring cell phone, having just gotten off from doing a double shift at one of five internships she was trying to juggle with, not to mention going to school full time. She only had a short five hours of sleep, if that, a night and for someone to disturb her...Carly growled and picked up the phone, holding it to her ear. "Someone better be dead or I will be going to prison for murder." She growled moodily, rubbing her very tired eyes.

"Oh, so now you want to kill your little sister?"

Alani snorted and smirked when she heard the squeal sound from Carly, knowing she was fully awake. The girls hadn't talked in what seemed like forever, both too busy with their jobs and life in general to really hang out. Carly was going to school for journalism and doing internships left and right, refusing to give up her dreams, but also trying not to go insane in the process.

Nobody could wipe away the huge smile on Carly's face as she sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes again. "What's wrong, Lani? You only call me when something terrible has happened or you need something." As hurtful as that sounded, she was unfortunately telling the truth.

Alani closed her eyes against the sudden pain, knowing she should be calling Carly more often, but the bookstore was really starting to take off. She had devoted herself to it, putting every ounce of energy to make it run, and destroying her friendships in the process. Alani had to learn how to juggle better, deciding she would be going out with Carly at least once a week if their schedules permitted.

"I need your help, C.C." Alani said, hating the fact that her sister knew her like the back of her hand. "I wouldn't have called if it was extremely important…"

"With what?" Carly immediately demanded, swiping the blankets away from her and stood up, knowing she wouldn't be getting anymore sleep that night.

The sun was already coming up and Carly actually had a day off to recuperate from all the madness in her own life, knowing she couldn't deny Alani anything. She stretched out her sore limbs, tucking the phone between her shoulder and ear. Work had been brutal at the internship the previous day and Carly had to relax before she ended up blowing her head off.

She didn't realize no relaxation would be coming her way.

"Come over and I'll explain everything to you. Don't let me down, sis." Alani hung up on her before Carly could get another word in, tears stinging her eyes as she fingered the crystal around her neck once more.

Carly would never let her down.

Alani decided a shower was in order so she could think and wake up, hearing the coffee maker switching on already. Carly was a coffee fiend, so was Alani, which is one of the many reasons why the girls got along so well. Turning the shower sprays on, Alani's thoughts reversed to Taker, shivering at the memory of his lips trailing down her neck. He thirsted for her in more ways than one, though Alani knew he could and would never hurt her…she hoped.

**~!~**

"Let me go!" Jordan screamed for the umpteenth time, wanting to rip these vampire's heads clean off of their shoulder, flashing her pearly whites, struggling in the chains. They were special and had a bewitched magic that prevented them being broken, only unlocked with a special key. "You have no right keeping me here!" Her master definitely wasn't going to be happy when Jordan finally did escape, scowling.

Randy paced back and forth in front of the prisoner, his own scowl darkening, though glad Mark hadn't finished the job so to speak. They could finally get a hint on what was happening with this so called dark one. Randy was losing patience and finally couldn't take Jordan's screeching anymore to release her, backhanding her across the face. Jordan's head snapped to the side from the velocity, blood immediately forming on her lip, making Randy's senses reel slightly. He decided they didn't need the interrogation, eyes slowly darkening as he stalked toward Jordan, growling from low in his throat hungrily.

"Don't do it, Randy." A sweet voice sounded from behind, causing him to stop dead in his tracks. "We need her for informational purpose this evening, you cannot kill her yet."

Sighing and dropping his head, Randy nodded as he walked over beside his beautiful wife, growling in irritancy. "She's getting on my last nerve." He stated coldly. "I didn't want to hit her, but couldn't resist the temptation."

Slowly smirking up at her husband, Morley moved to stand right in front of him with those hypnotic violet eyes, running her nails up and down his solid muscular chest, feeling the muscles rippling beneath them. Slowly tracing the outside of his lips with the tip of her tongue, Morley could feel him physically relaxing against her, smiling. "Do not worry, my love. For tonight, we will find out the truth one way or another…by any means necessary. Mark just left to retrieve this mystery woman named Alani, we will soon have our answers." She assured him, knowing Randy had been going out of his mind with worry over whether or not their family was in danger.

Jordan's head snapped up upon hearing that name escape the woman's lips, sighing heavily, knowing her master would not be happy to hear what was happening. These leeches didn't know who they were messing with because Jordan would find a way out of here, wishing she could send a telepathic message to her master. Randy was powerful though and blocking all possible communication, the house also having a protective shield around it that made Jordan's eyes burn. Her fate was in the hands of Randy Orton, a vampire that had walked in the earth of centuries, and now he had a little bitch pining for his every move.

How truly pathetic.

The only thing was, they were on the good side and would remain there, while Jordan refused to leave the side of evil forever.

**~!~**

After a quick shower, Alani stepped out and heard the doorbell ring, immediately rushing to answer it, stubbing her toe in the process. "FUCK!" She cursed, somehow remaining on her feet, and hopped on one foot toward the door. "Mother fucker!" She hissed, though managed a weak smile for her best friend.

Carly slowly slid the black shades from her deep grey eyes, arching a slow eyebrow and looked at Alani like she was on drugs or something. "What are you a jack rabbit?" She asked, stepping inside, kicking the door shut with Starbucks coffee in hand. "I got you one, don't worry."

Alani glared at her sister, flipping Carly the one finger salute before hopping over to the couch, landing on top of it. She groaned as the pain began to slowly fade away, her toe throbbing and already bruising. "You need to sit down before I explain what's going on." She stated, patting the seat beside her, knowing she had to stay off of her foot for a little while.

"Yeah and you need to get dressed before we have this conversation." Carly retorted swiftly, walking into the kitchen. "I need coffee creamer, got any?"

Alani sighed heavily, knowing Carly couldn't think straight without at least a cup of coffee. "Have whatever you want, you're gonna need your strength. I'll be right back and then I'll explain everything."

Alani carefully made her way into her room to change into something more comfortable, hating being in just a towel. She picked out a pair of black dress pants with a silky black top that had a silver ring hanging on the collar of it, the material clinging to every curve of her body. It hung off her shoulders just a tad, though Alani kept pulling them up, nodding with the way she was dressed. She brushed her hair out, having already done her teeth, and simply pulled it up in a messy bun style to keep it out of her face.

Emerging a few minutes later, Alani stopped at the sight of her big sister lying on the couch with her eyes closed, feeling guilty for even calling Carly. 'Maybe I should just let her relax and do this on my own.' She thought suddenly, chewing her bottom lip, a nervous tactic she did when she was on edge. However, nobody else could help her with this besides Carly, so Alani was stuck between a rock and a hard place, not sure what to do.

Carly answered it for her. "Would you stop stalling and just fucking tell me what this is all about?" Carly's voice cut through Alani's thoughts, sounding somewhat irritated, which Alani didn't blame her for.

"I don't know if you'll even believe me." Alani admitted softly, walking over to sit beside her big sister, who had moved to sit up straight. "I don't even know where to begin…"

The look on Alani's face made Carly very skeptical and somewhat worried, though she hid both well. "Start at beginning and don't stop until you've said everything." Carly encouraged, holding Alani's hand, knowing the woman needed support. "Honey, just tell me, you know you can always trust me. I would never judge you about anything."

"I met someone." Alani blurted out without preamble, tucking a strand of loose hair behind her ear.

Carly quirked a slow eyebrow at her little sister, tilting her head to the side, wondering if she'd heard that right. "Continue." She ordered, wanting details. "Who is he?"

"That's just it, Carly, I don't know what his name is." Alani felt really confused, knowing she wasn't making any sense. "All I know is the name Taker, that's it. He comes into my room every night and takes me to depths unknown. He's…" Alani trailed off, needing to breathe, knowing how ridiculous this all sounded but she wasn't lying or making any of it up.

One thing Alani never did was lie.

"If he's hurt you, you better tell me right now, Alani Carlisle." Carly demanded somewhat angrily, very skeptical of this situation by now.

"No, no it's nothing like that." Alani assured her, knowing Carly was extremely protective. "It's very complicated to tell you because it's going to sound like I'm in some sort of movie. I just don't know if you'd even believe me."

She hated feeling like this, but couldn't help it, always thinking negative. Alani was a full-bred born pessimist. Carly, on the other hand, was the optimistic one of the two, always looking on the bright side of things even when there wasn't a bright side. Alani was very thankful to have someone so positive in her life, which made their friendship that much stronger.

"Well I'm not going to be able to tell you what I think or believe unless you finish your explanation." Carly said truthfully, rather blunt at times. "What is it, Lani?"

"He's a…vampire." Alani sighed when she saw the look cross Carly's face of disbelief, lowering her head, knowing Carly wouldn't believe a word of this. Who could honestly blame her? She could feel the tears burning her eyes already and looked up at Carly, who had this look of pure shock on her face. "I know you don't believe a word I'm saying right now, but that's why I need your help. Taker came to me last night and told me that his brother wanted to talk to me about something. I don't want to go alone because I'm not sure how safe it's going to be being around a bunch of people thirsting for human blood. It's disgusting in a way, but when I think of Taker, I can't help wanting to be what he is so we can be together…"

Carly didn't say anything for a few minutes, just sitting there in shock, and felt it slowly dissolve away, honestly not knowing what to say. "So the moment has finally come." She whispered more to herself than anything, swallowing hard, having a secret of her own. Carly looked at the necklace around Alani's neck, knowing exactly what it was and what this Taker wanted. "I'm going with you tonight because I don't want them to try to change you into what they are."

It was Alani's turn to be shocked as she looked back at Carly, blinking rapidly. "You…believe me?" She managed to choke out, feeling her heart rate increase.

Carly nodded, fingering the crystal around Alani's neck, knowing she could touch it without being harmed. "Alani, the crystal you wear around your neck isn't just any normal stone. They will explain everything to you tonight, I'm sure. I was waiting for this time to arrive, but never thought it would be this soon."

Alani was so beyond confused by now and felt her head spinning, wondering what her sister meant by that. "What are you talking about, Carly? You're starting to freak me out because one: you believe this and two: you're not making any damn sense!"

Carly patted her sister's hand reassuringly, knowing all would be revealed in time. "Everything will be explained and make sense, but in the meantime, we need to get the next several days off from our lives." That meant Alani would have to close the bookstore and she didn't have a choice in the matter. "This isn't going to be just a one night deal."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The cold breeze blew through her apartment balcony doors as black steel toed boots thudded softly against the wood. Soft green eyes scanned the room and Mark smirked at the breathtaking sight of his angel sleeping peacefully on her bed. He slowly moved toward her and stopped dead in his tracks, feeling a presence behind him, eyes narrowing. It was almost a nuisance, though Mark already knew it was going to happen eventually, especially when it revolved the Amber Crystal. Mark turned around slowly, green eyes locking with enchanting grey eyes, and arched a slow eyebrow, not saying a single word.

"What do you want with my sister?" Carly demanded in a tense whisper, arms folded in front of her chest, never taking her eyes from this creature. "You must be Taker, correct?" When he nodded, Carly glanced over at her sleeping sister, knowing there was so much Alani didn't know and was unfortunately about to find out.

His eyes also trailed over Alani's body, wanting nothing more than to take her right then and there, but knew now was not the time or place. They had other business to handle that night, Mark would have plenty of time to have Alani all to himself. He just had to be patient and knew Randy was growing impatient, heaving a rather annoyed sigh.

"I don't know."

"That crystal was Amber's. That's the only thing she has that signifies our mother and you're not going to take it away from her." Carly stated with a edge to her tone, watching as the creature shook his head instantly.

"You don't understand, Carly." His voice held a soothing quality, remaining quiet because he didn't want to awaken his sleeping angel. "She could be the one who holds the key to the fate of my kind. The crystal can't leave her neck unless she's changed into one of us." Mark informed, knowing this was probably very difficult for Carly to swallow, but it was the truth. Randy had warned him before he left about Carly being there, which is why he wasn't surprised in the slightest to see her.

Carly was hesitant and nervous at the same time, watching as this creature slowly edged toward Alani's bedside, chewing her thumbnail. He lowered himself gently to sit beside a sleeping Alani, brushing a few strands of hair from her face. Carly knew their mother would not be pleased with this, having been entrusted to watch over Alani and protect her. Sighing deeply, Carly listened as Mark spoke to her sister, folding her arms in front of her chest.

"Hello again, my angel." Mark murmured huskily, running his strong fingers down her delicate face, loving the roses that bloomed in her cheeks, smirking. Her eyes slowly fluttered open, Alani gasping at the sight of Mark hovering over her, though she wasn't complaining. Those beautiful green eyes that haunted her dreams on a nightly basis were in her presence and Alani knew this wasn't a dream, that he was really here beside her again. "Are you ready to leave yet, Alani?" He asked, noticing the hesitation instantly entering her eyes mixed with fear, honestly not blaming her for being scared.

He didn't want her fearing the fate that Amber had bestowed upon her.

Alani gulped nervously, slowly sitting up in bed and stared back at Mark, feeling as though her heart might leap out of her chest at any given moment. "On one condition." She finally answered in a soft voice.

"Name it." Mark immediately replied, his eyes locked on hers, ready to go to hell and back for this woman he wanted more than anything.

"My friend has to come with us. I refuse to go alone with you, Taker." Alani stated, running a hand through her hair, trying to be as truthful as she could.

She didn't trust this man or creature, whatever he was, and didn't know if she ever would. After all, he did come from another world entirely diverse from hers, replenished his body differently and lived in darkness. Alani wasn't like that, enjoying sunrises and daylight, the warmth it brought to her.

Mark simply smiled at her and snapped his fingers, making both Carly and Alani glance toward the balcony doors questioningly. They both stepped out on the balcony, Carly grasping Alani's hand, both of their eyes widening simultaneously. There stood beside Mark another gorgeous man and both women wondered how in the hell he managed to arrive on Alani's balcony five stories up.

He stood at six foot two, tall and muscular with short soft dishwater blonde hair and incredible deep ocean blue eyes. Carly suddenly lost her breath, not able to do anything except stare at this gorgeous man, though deep down she knew what he was. His build was magnificent, a physical specimen so perfect she knew it dripped with pure sin, especially the smirk that curved his full lips. He looked like a man or creature that sinned a lot, Carly smirking at the thought, their eyes never leaving one another. Carly had to grab onto Alani before her knees gave way and caved in on her when the man smiled, the breath leaving her body instantly.

Ted stared at the young vixen, admiring the long flowing brown hair that pooled down her back in honey waves, landing just above her waist. She stood around five nine and had a figure that Ted could honestly admit he wanted to touch, to explore. Of course that craving would have to wait until later, which he knew would happen, especially with the way the roses bloomed in her cheeks. However, business had to be attended to first before the fun could begin.

The closer he sauntered toward her, the more intense the craving became to have her, though Ted had to maintain composure. "I don't have a problem with her coming along, Mark. I'll escort her…personally." He stated, wearing a simple tight black shirt that looked ready to explode from his muscular form at any given moment, along with blue jeans, black boots on his feet.

Alani was confused as the other man referred to Taker as Mark, arching a slow eyebrow, deciding against saying anything right now about it. She would question him later, knowing they had bigger fish to fry so to speak with wherever they were going. She looked over at her best friend, noticing how fast Carly melted, becoming pure putty in the man's hands.

She turned to look at Mark, her own breath lost as his eyes locked on hers again, the feeling nearly unnerving her every time. He had such a deep profound impact on her senses, feelings, everything and Alani didn't understand it. She bit her bottom lip and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, knowing it was time to leave.

"I'm ready when you are, Taker." There was no way Alani was calling him Mark, knowing there had to be a reason why he preferred her to call him that.

Mark nodded and extended his hand, the trust swimming in those emerald green eyes that sparkled in the moonlight. "Trust me, Alani." He almost pleaded in a deep voice. "I won't hurt you and never will."

Searching his eyes for any sign or indication that he was lying to her, Alani couldn't find any and finally slipped her warm hand in his cold one, gasping when he turned her around. Her back pressed against his chest, Mark wrapped his strong tattooed sleeved arms around her waist securely and Alani rested her hands on his forearms, swallowing hard. Mark knew she was scared to death right now as it radiated from every pore of her body, knowing he had to calm her down somehow.

"Hang on and don't let go of me." He instructed, his mouth right by her ear, feeling her shiver against him. "I'm not going to hurt you, darlin', now close your eyes."

Alani's eyes slowly drifted shut, his soothing voice in her ear enough to make her relax against him, knowing that's what he wanted. She could feel herself start to float and held onto Mark tighter, keeping her eyes closed as he instructed, the night air hitting her face. Of course, Alani's curiosity got the better of her and opened her eyes, gasping as she held on tighter to Mark, who chuckled in her ear as they flew through the night sky in each other's arms. She looked behind her, seeing Carly was in the arms of the man Mark had apparently summoned, and couldn't help smiling. Alani melted into Mark's arms even more, though she was scared to death of heights and hoped she could trust him not to hurt her.

Before they knew it, Mark and Ted both landed in the doorway of the four story mansion, both slowly releasing their vixens, immediately scanning their surroundings. They couldn't be too careful right now, knowing someone was after Alani and, more importantly, the beautiful crystal around her neck. "Go find them." Mark ordered Ted, who immediately flew off, though sparred a longing glance back at Carly before doing so.

"Why do I get the feeling we've been here before?" Carly couldn't help asking, not noticing the crystal glowing around Alani's neck as she surveyed the mansion, arching an eyebrow. She walked up to Alani, who grasped the crystal in her hand protectively, wrapping a secure arm around her shoulders. "It's going to be okay, Lani."

"I don't know, but I'm getting that same vibe." Alani ignored Carly's sentiment of it was going to be okay because, honestly, she didn't believe her. Looking down at the crystal, Alani watched mystified as the glowing intensified in a golden color as she took a few steps toward the open balcony door. They hadn't fully entered the mansion yet, Alani's heartbeat skyrocketing off the charts.

As soon as she took a step inside the mansion, a flashback hit her hard.

Alani's body flew back and landed hard on the wooden floor, screaming out as a sharp stab of pain pierced her brain, feeling tears instantly cascade down her cheeks.

Her mother stood in front of her -somehow she knew that's who it had to be- and they were in the same exact house Alani was in now. The ghostly figure of her mother pointed toward the room, a door opened with a golden glow coming from it along with screaming. Blood splattered on the walls everywhere, even on the floor.

Maids and servants, from what it looked like, rushed back and forth from the room as ear piercing screams sounded throughout the room. Alani's ghostly figure walked toward the room, almost as if she was in some sort of trance. There she saw her mother, Amber, giving birth to her as more screaming commenced, sweat pouring from the woman's forehead and body.

Just as the flashback started, it ended.

Mark was worried out of his mind about Alani, her eyes having rolled in the back of her head, seeing the tears caked on her cheeks. "Alani, Alani, snap out of it darlin'!" He ordered frantically, looking up at a startled Carly.

Alani's eyes slowly fluttered open, hearing footsteps thudding and coming closer, two individuals arriving moments later. She looked up at the beautiful goddess and a handsome man, both looking extremely worried, knowing Taker probably freaked out when she had the flashback. The woman had long flowing red hair with breathtaking violet colored eyes. They were enchanting, yet haunting, her pale features bringing out the color in them further. Alani looked up further, seeing she was clad in a gorgeous gothic gown in a purple velvet pane, featuring an alternating color panel trimmed down the front in satin ribbon with laces up the front and cinched in the back. It had long velvet sleeves, straight at the top then flared down, hugging her curves.

Her eyes went from the beautiful woman to the man that stood beside her, seeing he had ocean blue eyes like the creature who had Carly smitten already. They had to be brothers or close to it, though this man's eyes were mystic blue that held an icy aura. He was huge and had on faded black jeans along with a black buttoned down short sleeved shirt, his arms looking as though they were covered from wrist and shoulder like Taker's. Alani wasn't really sure what to think at the moment, though he barely had hair and reminded her of some kind of snake, hoping he wasn't one in the grass, metaphorically speaking.

"Flashbacks starting already?" The woman asked, making Alani look at her as her jaw sort of dropped, making Morley smile at her warmly. Mark helped Alani to her feet, worry still etched in his features. "Do not worry, honey, we won't hurt you unless you pose a threat to us, which you don't." She assured, who simply nodded.

Randy studied the young woman before him, not believing how much she resembled Amber. She had the same flowing red hair that went to her waist, just like Carly –Carly's hair was a golden brown- and those same enchanting midnight blue eyes. 'She looks just like her.' Randy thought instantly and stepped forward, knowing this woman had to be extremely timid of all of them. He took her hand and pressed a soft kiss to the back of it, their eyes locking instantly. "Welcome home, Alani."

At that moment, Carly became defensive and stepped in front of her sister, glaring at the man, breaking the contact instantly. "My sister isn't staying here with you blood sucking leeches! Our mother wouldn't want that and you damn well know it, Randy!"

Randy smirked down at the spitfire known as Carly, letting a demonic laughter escape his lips. "Dear sweet Carly, did you honestly think you could hide the truth from Alani? I'm surprised you managed it this long." He watched as Alani's eyes widened somewhat.

"What truth? What are you talking about?" Alani's head was swimming from taking a lethal bump to her head, the flooring solid wood with the exception of a rug sprawled in front of a fireplace. "I don't understand…"

"Fuck you, Orton!" Carly spat hatefully, her eyes blazing with fury, immediately calming down when she felt her sister take a step back from her. "I can't believe you did this…"

"She deserves to know the truth."

Tears welled up in Alani's eyes, turning to stare at Carly, wondering what was going on. "What's he talking about, Carly?" She demanded, watching the guilt slowly seep into the features of the woman she had trusted for so long. "Carly…"

Carly began opening her mouth to speak and then simply dropped her head, not able to tell the truth. "Alani…"

Mark began moving toward Alani and, by now, she was so scared that all she wanted to do was leave this place. Carly was hiding something from her and all of these people seemed to know who she was. Instinctively, she held the crystal out, watching as they all instantly backed away from her, arching an eyebrow. They were afraid of a necklace? Without realizing it, Alani was using the power of the crystal against them, which stopped Mark in his tracks, knowing he couldn't move any further toward her.

"Why am I here and why are you all afraid of this?" She demanded, feeling her sanity slowly begin slipping from her, swallowing hard. All of the creatures hissed at it, even Taker, and Alani knew she had to keep the crystal close to her in case they tried harming her.

It would protect her in a weird way.

"Come into the den, child." Morley coaxed, trying to diffuse this volatile situation, swallowing hard. "We will explain everything to you." Alani was scared to death and Morley felt for her, frowning as she took another step forward. "Put the crystal down. We're not going to harm you." Smiling triumphantly when she lowered the crystal as it glowed back to the normal gold, Morley knew she'd gotten through. "Well done; now please, follow us into the den. We have much to discuss with you." Morley walked away without another word, knowing Alani's curiosity would make her follow.

Taking a deep shaky breath, Alani reluctantly did as the beautiful woman wished, holding the crystal close to her. "I hope this trip was worth it.' Was all she could think as they headed toward the den.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Shock.

That's all Alani felt as she stared at the clan of vampires before her, not believing what she just heard. She held the crystal tightly in her grasp, tears stinging and threatening to spill down her cheeks. They had welled up and intensified the more Randy Orton explained about her mother, Amber Carlisle, and the crystal that she currently clutched.

Morley frowned, not liking the look in Alani's eyes, glancing over at Carly worriedly. The woman hadn't spoken a word either, standing beside Ted, who was basically a leaning post at the moment. Carly didn't know what to say or even think at the moment, just wanting to be left alone because she'd already known about the crystal and their mother being trapped within. That's why Carly had remained close to Alani all these years and for these vermin to tell her…Carly suddenly had to count backwards from ten before she exploded, gritting her teeth, jaw tightening.

Alani couldn't think straight and looked down at the crystal that glowed in her hand, eyes widening slightly. "My mother…is in here?" She finally whispered, not trusting her real voice at the moment.

Had they truly lost their minds?

"Yes, Alani, she is." Randy confirmed, knowing this was a lot for the mortal girl to take in, but they had no choice. The entire vampire race was in danger and it was all because of this crystal. "She's always been in there and always will be. Amber loved you so much, Alani, that she sacrificed her life for yours. She didn't die in a car accident as you've been lead to believe all these years." He glanced over at Carly, who refused to look at any of them, knowing she was attempting to keep her temper in check.

Randy could literally feel the anger rolling off of her in waves.

The audacity of these vampires coming in her innocent sister's life and killing her slowly with their mother's memory! Carly growled from low in the back of her throat, but didn't say a word, feeling Ted standing right behind her. The butterflies welled up inside her stomach instantly, chest tightening as an unfamiliar feeling flowed over her.

It was lust.

Carly wanted him and started feeling a sense of urgency to be with this man, honestly not caring about the consequences that would surely follow. She knew he wanted her too, that he thirsted for her blood, craving to have her body pressed against his. Her wish was granted as his arm snaked out, wrapping around her waist, pressing her back against his strong muscular chest.

Mark sighed with deep regret for even bringing Alani here, watching his angel cry over the loss and new found information of her deceased mother. He knew Randy was doing this to protect him, but had enough. Mark growled at Randy, making the man step back, and walked over to where Alani sat with her face buried in her hands. He gently squatted down and lifted her chin with his strong hand, staring deep in those blue eyes that were currently bloodshot and swollen red.

"Do you want to leave?" He asked gently, not caring about anything else at the moment except making those tears disappear.

Alani could only nod and wiped her tears away, sniffling, the pain of her mother's real death consuming her. She didn't fight Taker off when he lifted her up princess style in his arms from the couch, burying her face in his strong neck, trembling slightly. Mark knew she needed the comfort and held her as tight against him as he could without hurting her, knowing his strength was inhuman. He shot Randy and Morley a warning glare, telling them silently to leave her alone, and walked out without another word toward them.

Carly started going after them, but Ted's arm around her waist prevented her from doing so, worried to death for her sister's safety. "Please I have to make sure…"

"Come take a walk with me." His mouth was right by her ear, the sound of his voice sending shivers throughout every part of her body.

Knowing she couldn't deny this man even if her life depended on it, which is probably did at the moment, Carly slipped her arm through his and let him guide her out of the room, the meeting adjourning for the moment.

Randy looked over at his wife, who had remained quiet throughout most of the meeting, watching her heave a heavy sigh. He walked over to her and sat down, seeing the tears sliding down her cheeks, his heart instantly breaking even though it was dead. He couldn't handle watching his wife cry; it absolutely killed him every time a tear fell from her violet eyes. Maybe he'd jumped to conclusions too soon, but Randy's mind was simply saying better safe than sorry.

"It will be fine, Morley, you know that." He whispered in her ear, trying to soothe her as she cried, kissing a few tears away.

"I know that, but I can't help feeling terrible for her." Morley whispered softly and looked up at her husband; Randy's arms instantly engulfing her, feeling him kiss her neck softly. She needed his comfort at the moment and moved to sit on his lap, sniffling a little.

"I know, my love, I know."

Randy honestly felt the same way, though he had to protect his family any way he could, deciding he knew the perfect way to get Morley's mind off of this. He lifted her chin with his hand, his lips instantly capturing hers in a soft kiss that demanded attention. Morley couldn't help kissing him back, melting instantly, a soft sigh escaping her lips as he lifted her up in his strong arms and carried her upstairs to their bedroom for some alone time.

Meanwhile, Mark decided to take Alani to his favorite spot in the city, setting her down gently on her feet, turning her around to press her back against his strong chest. "Close your eyes if you trust me." He whispered in her ear, her scent completely intoxicating him.

"I do trust you, Taker." Alani said, breathing a little heavier because the feeling of his breath on her ear was making her senses reel. "I just don't want to be what you are…" Her words trailed off as Alani started crying again, Taker caressing her back soothingly, leaning his head against the side of hers. She could feel them begin to float in the air again and simply snuggled against him, knowing he would never hurt her.

"My name is Mark from now on; I should've been honest with you from the start." He sighed, honestly hating his human name, but Alani calling him Taker just left a bad taste in his mouth. "And you won't be unless you say differently." He promised, burying his face in her neck, trying to soothe her anyway he could.

They arrived a few minutes later with his boots thudding hard against the concrete, Alani slipping out of his arms because he stumbled. She began to fall off of the building, but Mark caught her instantly, pulling her up, making her fly through the air and right back into his arms again, their eyes locking. He couldn't get enough of staring into her eyes, knowing he could honestly get lost in them for the rest of his existence.

Alani was breathless because the feeling of flying down into his arms made her heart skip a beat, leap in her throat. Mark was incredibly strong and she felt safe with him, staring deeper into his own eyes. He ran his fingers through her hair and took a strand of it, holding it to his nose and inhaled the invigorating scent, groaning softly. She smelled heavenly, his heavenly angel.

"What's on your mind, darlin'?" He asked in her ear once again, turning her around to face him, both of them sitting down on the ledge of the building. The moon was full above them, illuminating her in a soft white glow, which just made Mark's lust for her intensify. He smiled when Alani leaned back against him, having moved to sit between his legs, her head resting back against his chest, not hearing a heartbeat like she normally would with a regular man.

Mark wasn't regular by any means.

"My mother." Alani confessed softly, fingering the crystal around her neck again, still not believing everything she'd found out about Amber. "She's been with me all this time and I didn't even know it. Not to mention Carly is really my sister…" She sighed heavily, lowering her head a bit. "Can I ask you something, Mark?"

"You can ask me anything, darlin'." He assured, running his nimble fingers deftly through her hair, loving how soft and silky it was against his touch. Mark just wanted her to feel safe with him and nothing more. To soothe any fears she had, beginning to rub the back of her neck gently, not wanting to hurt her in any way.

Alani turned around to stare into his soft emerald gems, running her fingertips hesitantly down his face. "Why did you choose me?" She asked barely above a whisper, chewing her bottom lip. "Did the crystal guide you to me?"

Mark shook his head, pressing his forehead against hers, lacing their fingers together as he pressed them against her thundering heart. She was scared; he could feel it and didn't want her to be. "Don't worry my angel. I will not hurt you. I know you fear me, but there's no reason to because I CAN'T hurt you. I would harm myself before I hurt you. The crystal didn't guide you to me. Your scent and purity did."

Alani nodded in understanding, trying to stop trembling against him, but it was very difficult to do. "So, what happens when or if I decide I want to become what you are?" She sort of blurted that question out, swallowing hard at the fire that suddenly erupted in those emerald eyes.

"If you decide you want to be what I am, then the crystal would no longer be a danger to any of my kind." He answered truthfully, not able to lie to her, and quirked a very slow eyebrow. "Amber wouldn't want this kind of existence for you, Alani. Honestly, I don't think I could change you either because I hate what I am."

"Why not?" She immediately demanded, trying to understand what was so terrible about being a vampire, seeing the pain instantly enter his eyes. "Mark…" Alani wondered why he would say something like that, her own hurt consuming her.

Sighing heavily, Mark raked a hand through his long black hair, not sure how to word this without hurting Alani further. "I'd feel so guilty for changing something so beautiful and innocent into the monster I am, that I was forced into becoming." He couldn't look at her, staring straight ahead instead, the cool wind blowing across them.

Alani lowered her gaze from him when she heard Mark say that, wishing he didn't feel that way, though she understood. Mark hated what he was and she honestly couldn't blame him, but damn if he wasn't attractive. All Alani wanted to do was stay with him and there was no way a mortal and vampire could be together without something bad happening. Hell, he was already in danger because of the crystal around her neck, thanks to her mother!

"I want to be with you though, Mark." Alani whispered, caressing his face with her hand, his eyes finally finding her again, his cold skin making her shiver in a good way.

Mark stared deeper into her eyes, seeing the truth swimming through them, and couldn't resist the temptation as he leaned down, capturing her lips in a soft kiss, stealing her breath away. The kiss grew heated and intense instantly as Alani moved to straddle his lap, running her fingers through his hair as a soft whimper escaped her. She wanted this man more than anything, her body crying out to him to just take her as his own anyway he wished.

Mark couldn't believe how intense the kiss became, searing both of their souls as he growled softly, gripping her hips to keep her steady, refusing to let her fall again. He knew this was getting out of hand and, as much as it pained him to do so, Mark pulled away with every ounce of restraint, breathing heavily. Alani's eyes had darkened and swirled with desire, which instantly made the guilt eat away at him slowly.

"You won't become what I am." He stated emphatically and stood up, extending his hand to her. "I won't allow it, Alani." The sunrise was approaching fast and Mark had to get them back to the mansion, taking a deep breath. "We have to go; the sun will arrive in a few minutes."

Alani nodded and turned around, feeling Mark's arms encircle her waist securely as they started floating again, landing in Mark's chambers in record time. She looked around, seeing a barely lit lamp on the nightstand next to his four poster king sized bed. The walls were painted a delicate tan, the flooring a black plush carpeting that felt wonderful against her bare feet. She had taken her shoes off when they arrived; having left them on the balcony they first arrived here in, though Alani wasn't worried about it.

So much for the coffin myth.

Knowing Mark probably didn't want her staying with him, Alani headed for the door without a word. Squealing out in surprise when she felt Mark pull her back to land on the bed, Alani stared up into his eyes, Mark hovering over her once again. "Where do you think you're going?" He whispered in her ear huskily, wrapping his arms around her tiny frame, his dreams of holding his angel for so long finally becoming a reality.

Alani smiled as she snuggled against him, not wanting to be anywhere else at the moment, sighing in contentment. "Nowhere Mark." She answered in a whisper, knowing he was exhausted and, in truth, so was she.

"Good answer, now go to sleep." He ordered gently, running his fingers up and down her side. "Tomorrow night will be here before you know it." Kissing her ear, Mark felt the exhaustion finally consume his body with Alani following him almost instantly, both of them falling into a dark slumber.

The crystal around Alani's neck started glowing rapidly, almost as if trying to send a warning, though they were both too deep in sleep to notice. Dark dangerous brown eyes landed on the sleeping Alani in Mark's chambers, a growl escaping his lips that only he could hear. He could feel Amber trying to warn her daughter of his presence, of the dangers that lay ahead for the clan, though it was too late.

"Soon my dear sweet Alani, soon." He then vanished without a trace, knowing the sun was rising at any moment, and sent a message to his minions to retrieve Jordan or die trying.

Jordan was freed moments later, everyone in the mansion in deep slumbers, not making one sound as she immediately headed back to her dark master. She had loads of information to tell him and could only hope he went easy on her for disappointing him.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

This definitely wasn't good.

Jordan took a deep breath and slowly knocked on her master's chamber door the following night, knowing she couldn't speak with him while the sun was up and he was very angry with her. She arrived back at the mansion and instantly went to sleep, or tried to; knowing she would need all of her strength for whatever her dark master put her through for disobeying him. She would be paying a price tonight and could only hope he showed some type of mercy on her, knowing she deserved everything she was going to get.

He could do anything he wanted because he owned Jordan in every way possible, having practically been brought from the streets to become his most trusted minion. How she craved to become a vampire, Jordan had begged him to change her, though he was steadfast in doing so. Now here she was, standing outside of his chambers, and bit her bottom lip nervously.

"Come in!" She could hear him bellow, hearing the anger in his tone of voice, shivers instantly shooting down her spine and slowly pushed open the door with her head bowed in shame.

David smirked upon seeing Jordan's head lowered, knowing she had really crossed a line by being taken hostage, scowling. "What news do you have for me, Jordan?" He ordered gravely, sitting in a bed with pure black sheets, completely stark naked.

Her head rose to meet his dark brown eyes and Jordan suddenly wondered if it was a smart move coming back here. "Yes, my master, I have news to bring you regarding the crystal and…the one who wears it." She said, hoping that would put him in a better mood.

A slow smirk spread on his lips as David crooked a finger to her, beckoning Jordan to come closer, to enter his bed. Jordan didn't hesitate, the hunger already shining in her eyes. She slowly padded over to the bed, her shoes having been taken away while being held hostage, and crawled on it sitting on her knees before him. Her legs were spread apart fully, just the way he liked it, and Jordan waited for her dark master to command something, anything. She simply wore a black tank dress, one of his favorites, with black lace panties and no bra.

His strong hand slowly slid up her silky smooth thigh, making her let out a half moan half sigh, causing David to smirk wider. "Tell me what this news is that you bring." He ordered, stopping his hand just short of her hip, his hand seeming to burn right through her flaming skin.

"The crystal is indeed Amber Carlisle's. Her soul lives within it and she's been protecting her daughter from the vampire world as well as balancing our worlds for centuries."

Of course, when Amber died shortly after giving birth to Alani, that was when the crystal had been passed down, Amber's mother having passed it down to her and so on. The crystal had originally been made by Alani's great-great-great-great-great-great grandmother, Erika Carlisle, and had been passed down in the Carlisle family for nearly seven generations.

David chuckled darkly, knowing he had finally found what he'd been seeking for a very long time, loving the sound of Jordan's voice as it flowed through the air. Without a word, he moved his hand until he hooked a finger on the side of her lace panties, pushing them aside, knowing Jordan was begging for him to touch her. He slipped a finger inside of her and heard her moan in pure satisfaction, growling as the lust began consuming every part of him.

"Tell me more Jordan." He ordered a little more aggressively, shoving her down on her back, hovering over her. His finger began thrusting inside of her hot sex harder and faster, loving the sounds of her moans echoing back at him. She was fully enjoying this, though David knew he would have to punish her…in his own way.

Jordan knew if she wanted to cum, she had to tell him everything she knew, which she would've done anyway. This was definitely a surprise and Jordan wasn't complaining, loving it whenever her dark master pleasured her like this. She had to deliver the news if she wanted the release, already feeling her stomach tightening, the hot coil within her threatening to spring free, though she couldn't do it without his permission.

"The only way…for the crystal to be destroyed permanently is if…" Jordan trailed off as she felt her orgasm coming on, moans wavering from her mouth as pure ecstasy enveloped every part of her body. "Ohhhhhhh…"

"If what?" David demanded, edging her closer to that fine razor edge, adding a second finger inside of her core and slowing the process down.

He knew her body was burning, aching for this release, and would give her everything if she told him what he needed to hear. She would do it regardless; she was his toy and puppet, a mortal he loved playing with. He needed to know all of the information before putting his plan into full action, knowing once he did there was no turning back.

Jordan's entire body trembled against him as she gripped the bed sheets below, beginning to feel the burning sweep over every part of her body, driving her mad. She closed her eyes as the sensation overtook her, moaning out as her dark master began riding out her first intense climax. Her juices spilled forth like a stream and coated his fingers, though he didn't remove them from her body like normal, instead thrusting them inside of her again.

This was the most pleasurable punishment Jordan ever experienced and never wanted it to end.

"Tell me!"

"…if she becomes a vampire herself!" She practically shrieked out as a second climax hit her harder, crashing over her like a tsunami wave, rocking her body down to its foundation. Her breathing came in short sharp gasps, knowing what's what her dark master wanted and needed to hear.

David smirked down at his messenger and traced her delicate slightly parted lips with the tip of his tongue, having bent down to torture her further. "Is that all?" He started inching his way between her soft thighs, gripping them to hold her steady, feeling her trembling against his hands. He didn't care though; David needed to find out everything, not knowing if those other leeches had infiltrated her mind. He squeezed her outer thighs and began moving his tongue inside her hot sex, tasting her, biting back a groan.

Jordan's breathing became sporadic almost instantly, her eyes flying open in surprise, blazing with need for him to just take her completely. "No." She gasped out, resting her legs over his broad muscular shoulders, their eyes locking.

Dark demonic laughter resonated throughout the room, echoing ominously as he started parting her inner thighs, removing his tongue from her sex to kiss up her stomach. He finally growled, not able to take having this ridiculous clothing in his way, and ripped the tank dress right from her beautiful body, tossing the offending material over his shoulder. She was being stubborn; though David enjoyed a challenge, knowing she was giving him something to sort of fight for in his eyes.

"Tell me what else there is. I need to know everything, Jordan."

Her name coming from his lips lit a forest fire throughout her and Jordan could barely breathe, knowing she had to muster up the strength to talk. "S-She's already found a possible mate by the name of Taker. He's one of the vampires in that clan and incredibly strong. He's the one who knocked me out in the streets and locked me up in their mansion." She answered rather quickly, in a rush of air, her entire body screaming at her dark master that she needed him to end her torment, her wet sex dripping with pure anticipation.

Gasping as he crawled to hover over her trembling form, Jordan's eyes drifted shut as her dark master took one of her rosy peaks in his mouth, swirling his tongue around it. It made her senses instantly reel out of orbit, her mind spin, her heartbeat quicken. The things he could do to her body completely amazed Jordan, sending sparks igniting through every pore and crevice, and dripped with pure sin. She didn't want it any other way, wouldn't change anything about what happened between her and her dark master, and arched her body further into his hungry mouth, lips and tongue.

"What else?" David groaned out, kissing down the valley of her voluptuous breasts, kneading the other one with his strong hand. He ran a single fingernail across her nipple, barely brushing it, emanating deep throaty moans from his most trusted and loyal as Jordan began pulsating with need. "Jordan…"

"Fuck me and I'll tell you the rest." She growled out, not able to resist the temptation of baiting him, knowing he loved a challenge. That's what she did, constantly challenged him as her need and lust grew with each passing second. If he wanted the rest of the information, he would just give her what she craved, Jordan honestly feeling a little bold at the moment, her eyes swirling with hunger. Holding back on purpose was definitely bold on her part, though David honestly didn't blame her, knowing he was driving her to the absolute brink of insanity.

Gripping his rock hard cock in his strong hand, muscles twitching, David began stroking himself right in front of her, a low growl escaping his lips. Jordan's eyes were glued to him, not able to pull away even if he plucked them out with a fork. A soft whimper escaped her lips as she licked them with pure anticipation, knowing exactly what was coming next.

"If you want this," David paused briefly, grunting as the veins in his cock began pulsating, knowing he couldn't hold back much longer either. "Then you will tell me the rest of the information I need to know or I'll explode right in front of you and not inside of you." Never was he more serious than at that moment, his eyes shining with promise.

Jordan whimpered out her plea, shaking her head in defiance, knowing this was a huge risk she was taking, but couldn't back down. If she wanted something bad enough, she had to fight for it and this was one of those moments. She hadn't spilled a word to those leeches who kept her prisoner, refusing to betray her master.

"Bury yourself within me and I will tell you the rest." She compromised breathlessly, feeling every part of her body ignited on fire, desperately needing him to put it out. David knew she wasn't backing down, deciding for once to give his most trusted what he wanted, a smirk curving his lips.

"Very well."

Proceeding to run his lips and tongue up her flat toned stomach, David kissed her breasts, flicking each nipple with his tongue, growling out dangerously. He decided to give her what she wanted most and forcefully arched her body to where her full breasts were heaving before him, the blood lust slowly taking over. Within moments, he was drinking from her body, her blood flowing in his mouth while his cock slid in and out of her receptive body, her pussy warm and throbbing against him. He could literally feel her pulse as it raced while he continued drinking slowly from her, her blood making him stronger, a soft growl of hunger escaping him. Jordan screamed out in pure pleasure and ecstasy, the pain only heightening it further, her hands gripping his soft short black hair in her fingers.

"Now tell me!" David ordered, not giving her a choice this time, feeling Jordan become weaker in his arms, making his thrusts that much more powerful.

"The leader is named Randy Orton. He's the one who told Taker to bring Alani to him so he could explain what really happened to Amber." Jordan's voice grew faint, though she knew she had to keep going, knowing this was her punishment for defying her dark master. "He's going to fight back against your forces with everything he has and is going to find some way to change Alani into one of his own before you have the chance." She rambled, gripping the bed sheets weakly, nails digging into the fabric.

Growling out angrily at what Jordan just told him, David began losing control and gripped her inner thighs, thrusting even deeper inside of her at a fast rapid pace. He took her to another place, another dimension, and Jordan honestly didn't want to be anywhere else at that moment. "They will NOT defy me! They will NOT take away what is rightfully mine! Damn you, Amber, damn you to the fiery pits of HELL!" His voice had risen with intensity, thrusting even harder and faster inside of his most trusted, pounding her into pure oblivion, making it numb.

Jordan screamed out in pure pleasure at how rough her dark master was taking her, gasping when she felt the animal within unleash. This wasn't good. "NOOOOO!" She screamed out in horror, realizing what was happening, but too weak to fight him off.

Hell, even with all of her strength, Jordan couldn't fight him off! Her voice echoed throughout his chambers as David completely drank her dry, killing her instantly as she slumped into his arms, her heartbeat dying the same time she took her last breath. He emptied himself inside of her, refusing not to have his release, and kissed her ice cold lifeless lips one last time.

"I'm sorry Jordan, but you should have known I would take your life sooner or later."

He then stood up from the bed, removing himself from her as he snapped his fingers, minions instantly walking in to remove her body from his presence. "Burn her body in the crypt." He ordered gravely, watching them instantly nod, nobody questioning why the dark master had just taken Jordan as his latest victim.

David took a shower, not the least bit remorseful on what he just did, knowing he couldn't trust Jordan any longer because she'd been taken hostage and that made her useless in his eyes…weak, pathetic. As the water poured over his body, David knew he had to put the next part of his plan into action immediately, rubbing his hands together as a demonic chuckle resonated throughout the bathroom. Oh yes, it was all going according to plan and nothing was going to stand in his way of victory.

He would make Alani his for all eternity and kill Amber's spirit once and for all if it was the last thing he ever did; the bitch had it coming. Stepping out of the shower, David towel dried himself off, pleased that his sheets were changed, no sign or even smell of Jordan's body. What Jordan hadn't told him, however, was going to change everything about both the mortal and vampire world.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Alani stood outside on the balcony later that evening; feeling like her whole world had been completely turned upside down, sighing as she ran a hand through her hair. She looked down at the crystal around her neck and felt a single stray tear slide down her cheek, making it land directly on the glowing stone. She didn't notice something happen until she turned her head, eyes widening to the size of saucers.

What she saw before her stole her breath completely away as the crystal began glowing powerfully, a golden light emanating all around her before shooting heavenward into the night. The single spark of golden light exploded moments later, reminding Alani of a firework, though she knew it wasn't that. The explosion dissipated and a shimmering took its place, beginning to float down towards her, causing Alani's heart to nearly stop as tears flowed.

It was her mother.

"M-Mom?" Alani's voice shook intensely, feeling her bottom lip quiver when the shimmering angel nodded her head. Alani thought she was staring into a mirror, a reflection because she looked identical to the shimmering being before her.

"Yes my dear, it's me." Amber's silky voice confirmed, her heart breaking at the sight of her daughter's tears. "You've called and I've answered. What's troubling you, my Alani?" She asked in barely above a whisper, a ghostly vibration to it, and landed right in front of Alani moments later as the gold shimmer disappeared, revealing her true form.

"I-I don't understand…" Alani stammered, wondering how the hell she could call her mother out of a stone, the same crystal she had worn and kept with her ever since she was born. She fingered the piece of rock protectively, wondering if she was indeed dreaming or possibly hallucinating.

Amber smiled sweetly at her daughter and walked over, smoothing her hair back, which felt like a cool breeze to Alani. "You called for me." She said softly. "Your tears always call to me, Alani."

Alani wiped them away instantly, staring back at her mother, who looked very troubled. "What's wrong mom?" She asked, swallowing past a lump that formed in her throat.

"There is trouble brewing within this clan, Alani." Amber said, the regret lacing her tone. "He's coming for you and I fear they will not be able to protect you. Do NOT let him catch you or else he will change you into what he is and destroy me once and for all." She explained forcefully, wanting her daughter to realize the severity of this situation. Time was running out for Amber and she didn't have much left, but knew she had to warn her daughters of the dangers that were lurking in the shadows and coming their way very soon.

Alani looked at her mother, the fear instantly erupting in her eyes, which were mirror images of the ghostly figure before her. "How do I stop it from happening?" She asked softly, feeling her heart give a painful lurch. "What must I do, mom?"

Amber could feel her spirit slowly slipping away back inside the protective encasing of the crystal, closing her eyes. "Your heart shall lead the way." Her faint whisper was the final thing Alani heard before Amber disappeared fully, leaving her daughter standing there with a million questions and no answers.

More tears fell from her eyes as Alani began sobbing violently, pressing the crystal to her chest over her racing heart, knowing she was truly losing her mind. She looked up at the night sky, wondering what her mother meant by those words, sighing deeply. What did she mean by saying her heart would lead the way?

Little did Alani know, the answer was right in front of her and didn't even realize it yet.

**~!~**

Mark sat in his chambers, deep in his own thoughts, when a knock sounded on the door. Sighing, he leaned back on the bed, not really wanting any visitors. "Come in." He reluctantly called out, not even seeing who it was.

Morley smiled softly as she opened the door to Mark's chambers and walked inside, her red velvet dress flowing behind her, clinging to every curve. "I came to check on you. You've seemed distant lately." She commented, stopping just short of Mark's bed, not wanting to overstep the boundaries of his comfort zone. Two weeks had passed since Alani had arrived at their mansion and into their existence; Mark hadn't really been spending time with her and Morley's curiosity was peaked.

"I know. I just want to give her space to breathe and figure this out on her own." Mark replied, staring up at the ceiling, wishing with everything inside of him that Alani would stop pushing him away. Something had happened to her, but Mark couldn't figure it out and it was becoming very frustrating.

Sighing deeply, Morley nodded in understanding and reached out to touch Mark's arm, trying to give him comfort. "Randy wants to speak with you about something that happened two weeks ago."

Mark stared back at Morley with curious eyes and quickly stood up from the bed, knowing she knew something he didn't. His chest bare and legs clad in tight black jeans, Mark allowed Morley to guide him downstairs.

Randy was in the sitting room, watching some sports on ESPN, when he heard Morley enter the room. Just the scent of her made his senses reel and Randy stood up, ready to plant a kiss on her lips, when Mark suddenly came into his vision. Morley must've given him the message and Randy knew this wasn't going to be easy by a long shot, shutting the television off.

"Go check on Alani." He ordered Morley in a gentle voice, kissing her lips softly. "I need to speak with Mark alone."

Nodding without hesitation, Morley kissed his lips softly once more before departing upstairs to check on their guest, leaving the men alone as requested.

Mark finally broke the silence. "What's going on?" He ordered, beginning to pace back and forth slowly. "What happened two weeks ago that I don't know about?" It had to do with Alani and Mark was getting angrier by the second, not believing Randy and Morley would keep anything regarding her from him.

Randy sighed heavily, running a hand through his short black hair, and turned around to set back down. "You need to sit down before I tell you this information." Not to mention he wanted Mark to calm down before the man paced a hole right through their flooring.

Mark folded his arms in front of his chest, shaking his head, flat out refusing to do what Randy wanted. "No…now tell me, Randy." He ordered, green eyes turning darker with hidden rage because everyone was keeping secrets from him.

That definitely wasn't good for the clan.

Trust issues were the LAST thing they needed.

"Fine, suit yourself." Randy decided to give the man the benefit of the doubt, knowing he should've told Mark this sooner, but didn't know how to go about doing so. They were out of time though. "This news is shocking, so prepare yourself: Amber has returned." His voice dropped to a quiet tone of voice, lowering his head as he closed his eyes, the pain flowing through him like a waterfall.

Mark stared at Randy with wide, shock filled eyes and slowly sank down in the nearby chair that was near the television, feeling his own chest tighten with emotion. Amber was like a mother to both of them and, when they lost her, it hurt to the core. Now that she had returned, it hurt even worse because that meant they'd both have to say goodbye once more. It was times like these that Mark absolutely loathed being immortal, wishing he could just take a dagger to his own heart to end his suffering.

"How is that possible?" Mark finally spoke, his voice rough with emotion. "She was turned into a statue I thought…"

Randy nodded, his blue eyes trailing up the stairs, letting Mark know silently who he was talking about. "Mark, Alani is the only one who can contact her. It happened two weeks ago. She was standing out on her balcony crying and one of the teardrops landed on the crystal. A bright golden glow came from within and revealed Amber. She spoke to her mother." He still couldn't believe the words that were coming out of his mouth, but Randy had seen it with his own two eyes.

"Why was she crying?" Mark immediately asked, forgetting momentarily about Amber because he was worried about Alani.

Hidden emotion swirled in his eyes as Randy stared back at Mark, swallowing incredibly hard. "She's confused on what to do about this situation. Amber told her that there was dangers headed her way and the only way to stop it was to follow and look deep inside her heart. Mark…" Randy trailed off, not exactly sure how he was going to explain this next part to Mark without the man blowing a gasket.

He knew Mark wanted no part in changing Alani into what they were, but at the moment, Randy knew she had no alternative. If they didn't change her immortal soon, their entire world would be in grave danger. The danger was closing in on them, Randy could feel it, and knew their time was running short.

"You have to change her, Mark." Randy finally got his thoughts back in order and the courage to say what needed to be said, his eyes locking on acid green.

Mark immediately shot up from the chair, anger flaring in his eyes. "No!" He growled in a low, quiet tone. "I'm not changing her! She's too innocent, good and true to be what I am!"

"Mark! If we don't act now, it will be too late for both her and our world!" Randy growled back, standing up as they went nose to nose, Mark taller than him. Randy didn't care, refusing to back down from anyone, including the man standing in front of him who was like a brother. Their clan was in serious jeopardy if Mark didn't do this. "If you do not change her, then I will do it myself! Either way, she is being changed tomorrow…" Before Randy could finish his threat, a scream echoed from upstairs, making the men both look at each other before rushing up the staircase.

"NO!" Morley's scream echoed down the hallway, Randy and Mark bursting through the door of Alani's chambers moments later. Morley was kneeled down by the vacant bed, clutching a note in her hand, sniffling hysterically.

Mark immediately walked over and took the note from Morley's shaking hand, feeling his entire body fill with rage, reading the black ink that held ominous words and sealed everyone's fate:

_I finally have my queen. Thank you Amber for giving me your daughter._

Mark crushed the note in his hand and looked over at Randy, who was comforting Morley at the moment. He ran over to the balcony, trying to get any kind of scent that would link him to Alani's whereabouts, knowing they could not waste a second. Every one that ticked by brought a step closer to Alani's demise and Mark wasn't going to let anything happen to her, not if he could help it.

"ALANI!" He roared out to the night sky, every emotion bottled up inside exploding out.

Randy closed his eyes, hearing the pain in his brother's roar, and stroked Morley's hair soothingly. "I promise, we'll get her back." He whispered, not knowing how the hell they were going to do that.

Just as he said that, Carly and Ted came flying through the door and instantly sensed something wasn't right. Carly scanned the room, not seeing her sister anywhere, panic flaring within her heart. "Where's Alani?" She demanded shakily, trying to keep it together.

"Gone." Mark's voice echoed from the balcony in a low, quiet tone, not trusting his regular voice at the moment.

Carly's eyes widened when she heard that. "G-Gone?" She stammered, tears stinging her eyes instantly, covering her mouth with her hand. Mark handed over the crumpled note without a word, Carly instantly taking it, feeling as though she couldn't breathe as her chest constricted painfully. The black ink gave her chills as Carly scanned the words, blinking as huge tears slipped down her cheeks, swallowing past the lump that formed in her throat.

Ted instantly pulled her into his strong arms, hating to see her crying, the pain radiating from her body almost too much for him to take. "We'll get her back." He whispered in her ear comfortingly.

"No we won't! She's gone! He has her and he's not going to let her go! He's going to change her and take that crystal and destroy our mother once and for all!" Carly cried out in pain as she crumbled in Ted's arms, tears soaking his shirt. Ted sighed deeply; it pained him to see her tears, but there was nothing he could do to stop them as he continued holding her close.

Mark looked down at the balcony ledge and felt a few tears slip down his cheeks, but couldn't let the rest of the clan see them. He was a vampire, not a crybaby, and nothing would change that. Mark growled loudly as he took off into the night, needing to think clearly about how he was going to save Alani's life from this threat.

He had to think of a plan, something that would be effective as well as useful, knowing he absolutely had no time to do this. Alani could be changed as he flew through the sky, suddenly wondering if he could save her from the inevitable. He could only hope she hung on a little while longer and fight long enough for Mark to save her before this dark master had his way with her.

Randy could only watch his brother take off into the night, Morley by his side, his arm wrapped securely around her shoulders. "Randy, what do you think he will do?" She asked almost hesitantly, the fear entering her tone for the first time that he could recall.

"I don't know, my love." Randy sighed out, staring down into his wife's beautiful violet eyes, wishing he could soothe her worry somehow. "If this is the end of us, then I don't want to waste a second."

"What do you…" Morley blinked as her husband lifted her up in his strong arms, carrying her back inside the mansion and out of the guest room, heading up to their chambers. "Randy, I don't think…"

"Yes it is." He argued, already knowing what she was going to say and deposited her on the bed, already hovering over her beautiful frame. "I want to be buried within you if and when our end comes, Morley." His breath was hot against her face, already removing the velvet dress she wore with just a quick yank, the fabric giving way under his strength.

"Randy…" Morley whimpered out as her husband proceeded to take her, all other thoughts and worries vanishing, clinging to him for all she was worth.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

A soft groan escaped Alani's lips as her eyes slowly fluttered open, feeling like a thousand bricks were crushing her skull as it pounded vengefully. She slowly scanned the room, once her blurred vision cleared, swallowing hard because she already knew she wasn't with Mark. There were candles lit everywhere all around her, giving the room an eerie fluorescent glow.

Alani shivered as a draft entered the room, going to wrap her arms around herself, but was stopped. She blinked the sleep from her eyes and looked up, her wrists encased in two huge thick iron steel chains that linked to the bed, forcing her arms above her head. The sheets were blood red that covered her nude body beneath, causing Alani's body to instantly break out in a nervous sweat.

She knew she didn't have any clothes on because she would feel them if she had. Alani began yanking on the chains vigorously, trying to free herself from whoever had her captive, but it was no use. This wasn't the vampire mansion anymore and Mark was nowhere to be found; she couldn't even sense him, which made tears sting her eyes.

Looking down, Alani could tell the crystal around her neck was glowing rapidly fast, her mother warning her that she was in danger. She tried in vain to stop tears from sliding down her cheeks, though it wasn't happening. It was almost as if something was controlling her, the light of the crystal suddenly vanishing when the door slammed open. Alani gasped, turning her head enough to see a very large hideous man headed her way, shocked by the sheer size of him.

Even more so because he was completely naked.

"You've awoken my sleeping beauty. Would you care for something to eat or drink?" The man asked cordially, his voice soothing as he popped a red grape into his mouth, savoring the taste of it on his tongue. He chewed it slowly, deliberately, while drinking every inch of this woman in, watching her every move.

'This isn't good.' Alani thought and started yanking on the chains, panic setting in. "Let me go right now!" She ordered in a shout. "I have nothing you want!"

The evil demonic laughter rumbled from his chest as David slowly made his way toward her, dark sinister brown eyes practically devouring her whole. He ran a single fingernail up the length of her sheet covered stomach, growling hungrily. "On the contrary, my dear sweet Alani, you DO have something I want." He informed her, his voice suddenly changing tones.

A shiver flowed through her entire body as Alani stared deep in his cold brown eyes, wishing he would let her go. "What is it?" She asked in barely above a whisper. "I'll give it to you if you just tell me what it is and let me go." More tears had swelled in her eyes, making the man growl as he backhanded her hard across the face, her head snapping to the side as the sound reverberated around the room.

"NO CRYING! You will NOT release her!" David growled angrily, pouncing on top of her without preamble and ripped the sheet from her body. His finger instantly penetrated her unwilling body, causing Alani to scream out even more because she was dry as a bone. "Welcome to hell, my Alani. I am the dark master and you WILL obey me or suffer my wrath. Now be a good little bitch and let me take you the way you deserve."

His words were sadistically and calculating, making Alani's eyes instantly shut tightly, the monster on top of her kissing down the length of her body. Alani wished with everything inside of her that Mark was there with her at that moment to save her, to be in the safety of his arms. Deep down, however, Alani had a feeling nobody would be able to save her from this monster, her heart instantly breaking.

**~!~**

Bolting upright in the bed with a pounding heart, Alani looked around the room, sweat caked on her forehead, tears sliding down her pale cheeks. She hadn't realized she'd let out a blood curdling scream until the door burst open with Mark standing in the doorway. One look at her angelic blotchy face and Mark was by her side instantly, cradling her in his strong arms.

"What happened, darlin'?" He whispered in her ear, trying to soothe her the best way he knew how.

Alani cried harder, wrapping her arms around his neck, burying her face in the crook of his neck. "Nightmare." She mumbled out, trembling from head to toe.

"What kind of nightmare?" Mark asked, pulling away from her to stare down in those deep midnight blue eyes and saw nothing but pure fear swarming. The woman was truly terrified by what she had dreamt of and Mark wondered what it involved, worry entering his own eyes.

Wiping the tears away from her eyes, Alani stared back at Mark and took a deep breath. "I need to speak with your brother." She finally said, swallowing hard. "I think this is a sign of things to come." Mark nodded, fully understanding what she meant, and wasn't about to argue with her. He stood up from the bed with her in his arms, kissing her forehead. "I can walk you know." She commented, causing him to snort.

"I know that, but I'll take every opportunity I can to hold you in my arms." Mark replied, making a shade of red tinge her cheeks. He couldn't help grinning, loving the effect he had on her, nuzzling her neck affectionately. "You have no idea what you do to me when you blush."

"I have a pretty good idea." That just made Alani blush deeper and Mark groaned, her scent completely intoxicating him, though he would never hurt his angel.

He proceeded to carry her downstairs into the sitting room, taking a seat on the couch with her still in his arms, sitting sideways on his lap. He closed his eyes and tried channeling Randy, only to hear some pretty raunchy sounds echoing in his mind moments later. He knew exactly what Randy and Morley were doing, shaking his head and looked down at his angel, clearing his throat awkwardly.

"This is going to take awhile." He said reluctantly, rubbing the back of his neck. "They're…busy."

Alani giggled softly at Mark's way of telling her they were sexing it up, snuggling further into his strong arms, never wanting to be anywhere else. "Do you want me to tell you about my dream or not?" She asked after a few minutes of silence, Mark rubbing her back up and down soothingly.

"Only if you want to." He replied honestly, not wanting to push her to tell him. "I'm not going to force you to tell me, darlin'."

Alani nodded and took a few deep breaths, feeling her heart begin to race at the mere memory of the dream she'd had. It felt so real. Fear began coursing through her veins because she could still feel his slimy hands all over her.

"I was in a dimly lit room with only a few candles in it. A shadowed figure was coming toward me and he had the most frightening brown eyes I'd ever seen. He was huge, Mark…" She trailed off and started trembling, the nightmare completely overtaking her mind.

"Shhh Alani…you don't have to finish if you don't want to." Mark whispered in her ear, running his fingers up and down her arm, trying to calm her down because he absolutely hated seeing her upset. Nothing was working though.

"No, I have to do this." Alani took a few more deep breaths, trying to calm her racing heart because it felt like it was going one hundred miles a minute. "He had me chained up to a bed and I was naked under blood red sheets. I started to feel tears come to my eyes and my mother was glowing brightly, trying to warn me that I had to get out of there. He pounced on top of me, telling me that I wouldn't release her with my tears and proceeded to…" Alani trailed off again, her whole body racked with sobs as she clutched onto Mark's vest for dear life, tears soaking his chest.

Mark sighed softly and held her trembling form against him, stroking her back tenderly, trying to do everything he could to calm her down. The more sweet things he whispered in her ear, the more she cried. He kissed her ear, his sweet breath caking it, wanting more than anything to take away the pain she currently felt.

"I swear to you with everything I am, I won't let anything happen to you, Alani. You mean a lot to me and I'm not going to let anyone harm you, no matter what." He vowed, his voice holding a certain dark edge to it, eyes narrowing slightly at the thought of someone touching Alani other than him.

Mark's eyes closed as he held her tighter, wanting to give her the comfort she desperately craved. He didn't notice the crystal glowing around her neck, pulsating with life. The only thing he was concerned with was calming and soothing any fears or doubts that Alani had.

"What if you can't stop him, Marcus?"

His eyes immediately shot open like he'd been electrocuted and slid Alani from his lap, lowering himself to his knees, bowing to the goddess before him. He couldn't believe she was actually here, his head lowered. Amber Carlisle was breathtakingly beautiful, bathed in a deep golden glow like an angel. He didn't deserve to be in her presence, knowing it was partially his fault that she had been turned to stone.

"I will do everything in my power, everything within me, to protect your daughter, Amber."

Amber smiled softly and bent down, lifting Mark's chin with her soft hand, staring into his emerald green eyes that held a monster within. However, that monster could be contained because what Amber saw in Mark's eyes was unconditional love for her daughter…irrevocable love. She knew this was Alani's destiny and looked over at her daughter with those same deep midnight blue eyes.

"Remember our meeting from the previous night, my little girl?"Alani nodded and wiped her tears away, forgetting all about how her tears brought her mother from the crystal, shocked when Amber took both her and Mark's hands, lacing them together. "Follow your heart." Amber repeated and smiled at both of them, knowing this was the only way to insure her daughter's safety from the wrath of David.

Alani looked down and watched as her hand was practically swallowed whole by Mark's, staring into his eyes. She went to kiss him and stopped, a question suddenly plaguing her mind she could not ignore. "Mother, what is this dark master's name?" She asked, hoping Amber answered at least one of her questions.

Amber sighed deeply as the name tarnished her memories, knowing her daughter deserved to know the truth, along with Mark, running a hand through her hair. "David Bautista." Moments later, Amber had disappeared back inside the crystal, having heard the others descending the stairs. She did however leave behind a picture of the monster that was after her daughter as it floated right at Alani's feet.

Alani bent down and picked up the picture from the floor, feeling her knees buckle instantly as Mark caught her, dropping the picture. It was the same man who had raped her in her dream. Mark kissed her forehead as he looked down at the picture, touching her forehead with his hand and closed his eyes, venturing into the deepest part of her subconscious mind. He'd never done this before, vowing to never invade her privacy, but right now it was vital he knew exactly what the dream entailed.

The picture of the man matched the rapist perfectly and Mark pulled his hand away from Alani's forehead, not able to see anymore, refusing to let Alani see him angry. He watched as Alani swayed and caught her before she hit the floor, knowing it was all too much for her to take in, not blaming her for fainting. He lifted her up in his arms and carried her back upstairs, needing to talk to Randy about this sudden turn of events.

After tucking her in and kissing her forehead softly, Mark decided he would perform a ritual from his black magic days. He still had his powers as a sorcerer and walked over to the closet, bringing out an old black pot along with some herbs. He mixed them quickly; the smell would keep Bautista away from Alani as long as she stayed within the circle he was about to place around the bed.

After careful planning and mixing, Mark finally had the brew ready, proceeding to pour it all around the bed. He even put the letter M on her forehead, signifying to all other immortals she was his to claim and only his. He then put the pot back in his closet, making the remains of it disappear, and walked back over to Alani's bedside. Stepping over the threshold, which he was the only one who could, Mark kissed her lips softly.

"I promise, nobody will hurt you my beautiful angel." He whispered against her lips, rubbing his nose gently against hers. Not only would the herbs he mixed together protect her, but it would also help her sleep deeply and soundly without any nightmares.

Mark then walked out of the room, keeping the door ajar, his mind waves linked with Alani's just in case Bautista tried something. He thudded down the winding staircase and wasn't shocked at the sight of Ted and Carly playing a little tonsil hockey, making his way into the living room. He smirked, seeing Randy and Morley had finally left their chambers and were watching television. Taking the remote, Mark flipped the contraption off, gaining Randy and Morley's full attention.

"What's the meaning of this?!" Randy growled out, standing up from the couch, having been engrossed in the program.

Mark held the picture of David Bautista, the dark master, right in front of Randy's face, making him snatch it instantly. "Amber visited Alani and I about an hour ago and left us that. That is the dark master, Randy."

Morley looked very confused as she looked up at Mark, violet eyes wide with wonder. "Why would Amber visit now after all this time?"

Mark sighed, running nimble fingers through his hair. "Alani had a nightmare about Bautista kidnapping and raping her. Randy, this is a sign of things to come if we don't do something fast."

"What do you suggest we do, Mark?" Randy asked, feeling completely defeated, not able to take his gaze away from the picture of David Bautista, wondering himself why Amber decided to show herself instead of decades ago.

Mark read Randy's thoughts, clearing his throat. "Alani's tears are the only thing that can release Amber's spirit from the crystal for a short amount of time. I've come to a decision about what to do with this."

"Which is?" Randy asked, both him and Morley staring at Mark with wide eyes, hoping he had the answer Randy wanted to hear.

Taking a deep shaky breath, Mark locked eyes with Randy, knowing there was no other way around this. "I will change her on the next full moon. That's one month from tonight. It will give her a chance to adapt to our surroundings and our way of life."

"We don't have that kind of time, Mark." Randy growled out in frustration. "It's either within the next two weeks or she's going to be gone forever. This son of a bitch has already gotten into her mind and giving her nightmares about what is to come. The longer you wait, the more danger you're putting hers and Amber's souls in."

Mark sighed and lowered his head, knowing Randy made sense as he stared out the window hardening. "Fine, I'll talk to her about it tomorrow evening, but if she's not ready, I'm not doing it."

With that said, Mark stormed out of the living room, making Randy growl out in pure exasperation. Morley caressed his arm, knowing they all were in danger right now and it was all because of David Bautista's hunger to kill Amber's soul once and for all. They could only hope that once Mark had the talk with Alani that she complied with being changed.

Their existence depended on it.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Carly walked down the corridor, trying to sift through everything in her mind that was going on lately, when she felt someone pull her to the side. Her back pressed against the wall, feeling her heart instantly started pounding in her ears, feeling a pair of soft addicting lips capture the flesh of her neck. She couldn't help letting a soft moan escape her lips and knew exactly who it was, honestly not minding it.

The man was downright gorgeous in every way, not to mention sexy as hell. Ted smirked when he heard her moans of pure satisfaction and started feeling his desire for her increase tenfold. He grinned as she ran her fingernails down his arms, growling from low in his throat.

"I wouldn't do that if you don't want this to go any further, baby." He rumbled in her ear, feeling shivers coursing through every part of her body.

"What if I do?" Carly retorted swiftly, making Ted stop what he was doing as he looked into her eyes, seeing they had turned a deep shade of midnight blue.

Groaning, Ted captured her lips without hesitation, the kiss heated and soul searing, passionate all in one. This woman was driving him insane and he didn't understand why she had such power over him. Carly moaned in his mouth as she felt his lips on hers, running her hands up his strong, muscular arms, wrapping her own around his neck.

She moved her head from side to side, opening her mouth, giving him complete access to taste her. Ted's tongue swiped across her lips and groaned when she immediately opened up for him, taking full advantage as he delved deep in her warm recesses. A soft moan escaped her once more, his tongue feeling incredible against hers as he searched every crevice and depth of her mouth, not wanting to miss any part.

This woman dripped pure sin, but Ted wanted to know what else made her tick.

He broke the kiss, his mouth right by her ear. "Is this what you want Carly, because once we do this, there is no turning back. I will not change you into what I am unless you ask."

He didn't want her to be scared to have intimate contact with him because of what he was. He wouldn't change her unless she wanted it, which Ted secretly hoped she did someday. Ted in absolutely no rush though and just wanted to enjoy every inch of her.

Carly pressed her finger to his soft red lips, his pale complexion staring back at her, both of their breathing ragged. "Take me, Ted." She whispered almost frantically, her eyes telling him what she wanted. "I need you."

Nodding, Ted turned her around and pressed her back against his chest, disappearing in a flash, only to wind up in his chambers in seconds. With a wave of his hand, the door closed and candles lit all over the room. That was their only light and Ted watched Carly walk over to the bed, examining it with her eyes.

He didn't move an inch, almost standing like a statue, his eyes smoldering over when she slipped in the bed, lying on top of it. Carly smirked and crooked her finger toward him, inviting him to join her, her own eyes glazed over with lust and passion. Ted was in a trance, slowly lowering himself on the bed, and groaned when their lips met instinctively again.

Ted broke the kiss and quickly discarded his shirt, pulling hers away from her body as well, tossing both offending fabrics to the floor over his shoulder. He grinned; she wasn't wearing a bra. The woman was definitely a sin and he craved every part of her, licking his lips hungrily.

He never wanted a mortal as much as Carly, not believing how enchanting she looked in his bed nearly naked. Another groan escaped him as her perfectly shaped breasts stared back at him, begging for attention, but Ted was afraid to touch them. They were so perfect. He didn't want to hurt them in any way, shape or form.

Carly was becoming impatient and took his cold hands in hers, placing them on her breasts, feeling her nipples instantly harden beneath his touch. Her head slowly fell back, eyes drifting closed, the contact almost too much for her to handle. She moaned out a little louder as he proceeded to roll her nipples between his forefingers and thumbs, rubbing them in circles, making them harden even more to pebbles. Ted grinned at the effect he was having on her, slowly guiding Carly back on the bed, his hands running down her sides, forcing a shiver to rush down Carly's spine.

"Ohhh Ted…" She moaned out, feeling his mouth seal to her neck, trailing his soft lips and tongue down the side of and back up to her ear.

He found that one spot that just made her completely melt. Right then and there, Carly knew she was surrendering herself wholeheartedly to him. He was playing dirty and winning, but Carly definitely wasn't complaining.

Who would?

Ted smirked and proceeded to torture the other side of her neck, refusing to leave it untouched. The softness of her skin made his erection throb in the confines of his jeans, but Ted had to wait. He groaned when one of her hands ran down his muscular chest to the bulge in his jeans, hissing out, Carly moaning at the contact.

Ted bent down, his mouth right by her ear again. "You feel that?" He demanded huskily, growling as she began rubbing him. "That's what you do to me, Carly. Every time you smile and stare at me with those beautiful eyes of yours. That's what you do to me, baby."

"I take it you wanna take care of that bad boy the old fashioned way?" Carly smirked wickedly, watching Ted's eyes darken even more as he nodded slowly with an emphatic yes, capturing her lips with his in another passionate kiss.

Her arms instantly wrapped around his neck, immediately responding, their tongues dueling in a dance of seduction. Carly reached down and unsnapped his jeans with a flick of her wrist, tired of the foreplay. Ted groaned in her mouth, tasting her again, and blinked when he was suddenly lying on his back with Carly straddling his pelvis, his hands instinctively running up and down her sides.

Of course he'd let her manhandle him, it'd been a very long time since a woman did that and Ted relished the feeling, his eyes drifting shut. Carly ran her fingernails down his chest, feeling the muscles instantly rippling beneath her touch, and started at the base of his neck. His Adam's apple had been crying out to her and now Carly had her chance to satisfy the craving, beginning to nibble gently on it. Loving it when Ted's groans made his entire chest rumble, Carly continued the torturous process, feeling as though her heart might explode out of her chest with how fast it pounded.

After she thoroughly teased him to the point where Ted thought he'd literally explode, Carly ventured further down his chest, lighting his body completely on fire. Her pussy dripped with pure need and want for this man, craving for him to be inside of her. She would wait though, wanting to satisfy him the way he did her, knowing she was getting the job done.

Ted's strong hands made their way to her long hair as she trailed fire ridden kisses down his chest, leaving behind a blazing path that Ted couldn't get rid of or ignore. If his heart still beat, it probably would've leaped out at that moment, his breathing becoming ragged as each second ticked by. Carly moved further down to his well defined package, licking and kissing each individual one, nibbling on his hip dents. She continued her way down his body slowly, methodically, her nails dragging down his chest again as she finally arrived at the pulsating bulge in his jeans.

"Lift your ass up." She ordered breathlessly, having moved back up to where she straddled his pelvis again, that smirk never leaving her lips.

Ted wasn't about to deny this beautiful woman anything, knowing if she wanted his dead heart, she could definitely have it. He did as instructed and lifted himself from the bed, feeling her begin peeling the jeans from his lower body. Carly dismounted from his pelvis once Ted was completely naked in front of her and stood before him, proceeding to slowly undress the rest of herself.

Their eyes never broke contact and Carly began slowly swaying her hips, turning around so her back was facing him. Unsnapping her own jeans, Carly pushed them down her long smooth tanned legs, not bending her knees so her dripping wet sex was in his perfect line of vision. His tongue snaked out and licked his lips hungrily, his deep ocean eyes turning to a dark midnight that almost looked black. Ted could feel the lust consuming every part of him, but he had to keep control because he refused to scare Carly.

It only made him want her more.

When she was completely naked, Carly slowly crawled up the length of Ted's body, kissing him in places he'd never been kissed before, including the tip of his throbbing cock. A deep growl emanated from deep in his throat as Carly kissed up his chest, not able to get enough of it. This woman was going to drive him to the brink of insanity and Ted was already teetering on the edge, his control slipping away.

"Do you want me, Ted?" She asked in a sultry voice, their lips mere inches from one another. "Tell me what you want."

Ted's head spun from what Carly was doing to his body, growling even louder. "I want to fuck you, baby. I want to fuck you so hard that you can't see straight for days and nights." He just wanted to pound her pussy into pure oblivion, to the point where she walked bowlegged for days. Hell, Ted knew he could very well live buried to the hilt inside of her for the rest of his existence, the thought very enticing.

Carly grinned at his answer and nodded, nibbling back down his chest. "Good answer."

She then positioned her wet sex on top of his hardened cock, rubbing her juices against the tip, wanting to drive him even crazier. Slowly, Carly finally took pity on him and lowered herself fully, feeling him completely fill her to the core, a deep moan escaping her lips. Ted grunted at the feeling of her tight walls wrapping around him in a vise grip, closing his eyes tightly shut, hissing at the intense contact.

He couldn't take it anymore.

They had barely begun and he was already losing complete control. Quickly flipping her over on her back, his temptation to change her overwhelmed him; Ted felt that blinding blood lust devour his body, almost as if his brain had completely disconnected from his body, taking on a mind of its own. Carly closed her eyes and felt him thrust hard inside of her, moaning out at the contact, gripping his forearms with her hands. The pain was excruciating at first, but it slowly subsided after a few moments. Tears glistened in her eyes and, as soon as Ted saw them, his head dropped in shame as the realization of what happened crashed over him.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want you to be afraid to have sex with me." Carly whispered and moaned out softly, wrapping her legs tightly around his waist, their eyes locking once more. "Please don't stop, Ted. I need you so bad and wanted you to be my first and only."

He sighed, still feeling like a complete jackass for losing control like he had, taking the most precious thing from a woman without even knowing it. He felt honored at the same time though and kissed her lips softly. "We'll go slow. I'm truly honored that you chose me to be your first." He pressed his forehead to hers, beginning to slowly move his hips, wanting her to completely adjust to his size before continuing.

"Oh yes…" Carly moaned out, feeling Ted thrusting inside of her slowly, not caring about his needs right now, only hers. She was in a world of pure ecstasy and started meeting his thrusts, arching her body into him. "Mmm faster, Ted, please…"

Ted began protesting, but one look in her eyes told him the only thing he needed to see. He ran his hands down the sides of her body, gripping her hips with his strong muscular hands, spreading her thighs apart wider so he could go deeper. Before long, Ted was driving himself full force into her receptive body, hearing her cries of pleasure echo throughout his chambers.

They were pure music to his ears.

His thrusts became harder, faster the deeper he went inside of her, the headboard of the bed banging against the wall but neither of them cared. Moans and groans filled the room as Ted took Carly to the depths of insanity and back again, just like she'd done to him, to places only he could fulfill. Carly ran her hands up and down his chest while moving in time with him, kissing him roughly to show him that she wanted it this way, that she wanted him to just pound her pussy and make her his completely.

"Change me." She whispered, her mouth right by his ear, feeling both of their climaxes seconds away.

Ted looked down at her, his eyes darkened with both hunger and lust, knowing he couldn't deny her anything. "Are you sure?" He managed to ask, not stopping his thrusting. "There's no going back if I do it, Carly."

Carly didn't say a word as she brought his lips down on hers, letting him know she wasn't having second thoughts about anything. The kiss broke and Carly pushed his head down to the swell of her breast, right under her collarbone. She closed her eyes and moved her hair away, her bare skin practically screaming out to Ted as his thrusts increased in both demand and power.

Ted couldn't take the temptation anymore.

He rubbed the back of her thighs and started slamming inside of her as hard, fast and deep as he could possibly get, pounding her, driving her over the edge. His nose rubbed against her breast and finally attached his lips to the tender flesh, his teeth sinking into it as his eyes closed. The moment her blood touched his lips and tongue, Ted knew she would instantly go through the changing process as the venom began spreading throughout her body. Carly's head tilted back as she caressed the back of his head, arching her body into him as he kept thrusting.

A few more times was all it took as they both climaxed, spiraling over the edge of pure insanity as Ted exploded dangerously inside of her, making her whole body jerk from the intensity. Ted didn't stop as he continued drinking her blood, feeling her start to wrap around his cock, exploding a second time. The feeling was indescribable, something he would never forget as long as he existed. He felt Carly's life slowly begin slipping away from her, knowing it would all work out because he'd changed only one other person, though she'd been burned centuries ago.

Slitting his wrist, Ted immediately brought it to her lips, knowing Carly was seconds away from death. "Drink, Carly, and live forever." He whispered, his eyes never leaving her angelic face.

As soon as the first drop of blood landed on Carly's lips, she instantly began drinking from him, groaning at the thirst of blood her body craved. When she completely had her fill, which only took a few mouthfuls, Carly let go and cried out in pain as the change commenced. Ted held her down as she began thrashing around on the bed, whispering calm soothing words in her ear, letting her know it would be over soon. It had been the most painful yet pleasurable experience of her life as Carly slowly felt her body go limp.

"I love you, Ted." She whispered out before the darkness completely took over, her complexion already turning ghostly white.

Ted kissed her lips softly, knowing she would sleep for the next few evenings. It took that long for the body to go through the full changing process and sleeping helped minimize the pain. "I love you too, my Carly girl. Sleep now." He whispered, snuggling with her, nuzzling her neck lovingly.

Within moments, Ted had fallen asleep beside her, knowing when she woke up, Carly was going to enter another realm.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

The following evening, after a restless sleep, Alani finally couldn't stand lying in bed anymore and stood up, needing some fresh air. She stretched her sore muscles out and slipped out of bed, walking out on the balcony, looking up at the starry night sky. So many things went through her mind, so much had happened.

Alani didn't understand any of it, though she knew deep down this was where she truly belonged. A gasp escaped her when a pair of tattooed sleeved arms wrapped around her waist, her back pressing against his muscular bare chest. She melted against him, resting her head back as well, not minding that he felt like stone.

"I didn't wake you did I?" She asked softly, a soft smile playing on her lips.

Mark smiled at her thoughtfulness and kissed the side of her neck affectionately. "No, I've been up since the sun went down." He answered, assuring her she didn't wake him.

Alani just nodded in response as she continued staring up at the stars, sighing deeply as she fingered the crystal around her neck, wishing she knew what to do. What did her mother mean by saying look inside her heart? What did it mean when her and Mark's hands clasped together?

She didn't have a clue what her mother was trying to tell her besides the simple fact her and Mark belonged together…a mortal and a vampire. It was making her crazy thinking about it constantly, trying to shove the questions in the back recesses of her mind. She smiled when Mark's hand slowly covered hers and touched the crystal, watching it glow instantly.

"Your mother is obviously trying to tell us something." Mark mused; pointing out the apparent as he continued caressing her hand, sighing deeply because he didn't want to do what he knew had to be done.

Sensing something was on his mind, Alani turned around to stare up at his pale complexion and green eyes of Mark's. "What's on your mind?" She asked softly, placing a hand against his marble chest. "I can tell you want to talk about something important."

Mark smiled and ran his finger down her cheek, feeling the warmth of it and sighed heavily, nodding in reluctance. "There is something, but I'm not sure if you'll like what I'm about to say." He finally said after a few moments of silence, hoping she didn't become afraid after what he was about to ask of her. "It's complicated…"

Alani nodded in understanding, taking his hand in hers and lead him back inside his chambers, making Mark extremely uncomfortable. She could tell he was nervous when she sat down on the bed and he remained standing, finding it somewhat adorable. He didn't want to take advantage of her in any way, protecting her virtue, and that just made Alani want him more. Mark blinked in surprise when Alani tugged him down by the hand, forcing him to sit beside her and couldn't stop her from crawling on his lap to straddle it even if he wanted to. Alani smiled softly and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing herself closer to him, wanting to feel every part of him against her.

"You want to change me, don't you?" It was more of a statement than an actual question, more silence ensuing between them as Mark stared back at her in shock, wondering if she could read minds somehow.

How did she know?

He sighed deeper and held her close to him, stroking her back with his long nimble fingers, his voice soft and slow. "I don't want to do it, Alani, not to you. You're so innocent and I know you've never been with a man before. I don't want to hurt you, angel." He pressed his forehead against hers, inhaling her sweet scent, loving how the roses bloomed in her cheeks. If he changed her, that would go away and Mark wasn't sure if he could handle it.

"I know you don't, Mark, but this is the only way to stop Bautista from wanting me as his own. If you change me tonight, it could all be over and my mother could rest in peace finally." Alani explained, biting her bottom lip because she didn't want to be what they were, a vampire, but was also curious as to what kind of lifestyle they had.

Mark growled upon hearing that, not believing Alani was actually considering this, and removed her from his lap to stand up, raking a hand through his hair with a trembling hand. "You don't want this, Alani. Our world is embedded in darkness. There is no light whatsoever. We sleep during the day and feast in the night. We drink human blood for survival and kill innocent beings for our food. You cannot tell me that sounds appealing to you because then you'd be lying." He could already see the curiosity burning in her eyes and scowled darkly.

"You don't know what I want! What makes you think you know exactly what I feel and want?" Alani snapped and stood up from the bed as well, her blue eyes darkening with rage as she stared at the man who had haunted her dreams and thoughts for the past few months.

Clenching and unclenching his fists, trying to maintain a decent state of mind, Mark simply stared at her hardening. "You're sick in the head if you actually want to do this, to be changed into a monster." He stated remorselessly.

"And you're blind because you can't see how I feel about you!" She shouted in a retort, tears stinging her eyes as they threatened to spill down her cheeks. "You have no idea what you've done to me these past couple of months and I can't take it anymore! I can't lose you; it would hurt me more than being changed!"

"It's not that simple, Alani!" Mark growled angrily, suddenly having second thoughts about everything, including her. "I can't change you into what I am! I would never forgive myself for changing you into a bloodsucking monster, a killer!" He tried in vain to keep his temper in check, but Mark honestly didn't expect Alani to be so…open…about actually becoming immortal. She was being irrational about this and he had to make her see exactly what kind of mistake she would make if she was changed.

She couldn't keep them in any longer and blinked, tears slipping down her cheeks like two raging streams, burning her skin. "Fine, if you don't want to change me, then I will damn sure find someone who does!" She stated harshly and stormed out of the room, or started to, but Mark stopped her from taking no more than a few steps. His arm encircled her waist, pulling her back against him, the door slamming shut, and he tossed Alani back on the bed moments later.

He climbed on top of her, pouncing like a cat, and began roughly kissing down her neck, his huge hands gripping her sides, nails digging into her flesh. "Is this what you want, Alani?" He asked sadistically in her ear, flicking it with his tongue. "You want me to change you into the monster I am? Is that what you want, what you crave?"

"Mark, stop…" She breathed out, more tears falling from her bloodshot blue eyes as they slowly drifted shut, the feeling of him on top of her too good to ignore. His tongue and lips trailed up the length of her neck, licking her pulse point, while his hands roughly trailed up and down her sides. Alani was scared to death by now, trembling from head to toe. "Please, please don't…not like this…" He wasn't listening to her, his hand running up her nightgown she wore, groaning at the softness her skin gave off. He cupped her hot sex in his cold hand, his nail slowly parting her delicate folds, making Alani gasp through her tears and cried out in pain when the nail scrapped across her inner walls. "Mark, it hurts stop it…" She rasped out, not wanting to wake the others if they weren't up already from their fight, and started crying harder as Mark finally listened to her.

Mark ripped himself away from her, trembling from head to toe, knowing what he had to do. He gripped her arm roughly, a light bulb suddenly clicking in his brain. "You're coming with me. Let me show you what it's like to live in the world of darkness in which I do." He then turned Alani around roughly, wrapping his arms around her waist as they both took off into the night sky.

All Alani could do was cry silently, scared beyond belief, making sure none of the teardrops hit the crystal. She gasped when they both landed a few moments later with a thud on the ground. Alani lost her balance and landed on her stomach, catching herself on the ground before her face hitting the asphalt, her hands scrapped.

She watched Mark slowly started stalking a woman sitting on a bench. There was another vampire nearby, making Mark growl at him warningly to back off, and smirked when he took off into the night with a scowl. The woman was totally oblivious to all of this and Alani could only watch in a horror-filled trance as Mark walked behind the innocent woman, attacking her out of nowhere.

He gripped her arms in a deathly vise grip and moved her head to the side roughly, sinking his sharp teeth into the flesh of her neck, right into her pulse point. The dark liquid flowed out of the woman's neck in gallons as Mark began drinking from her, growling at the taste. He gripped her hair, wrapping his fingers in it, his veins lit completely on fire as the bloodlust consumed every part of his huge body, including his loins. When he finished and felt the woman's life slip out of her body, Mark threw her carelessly to the side, her body thumping against the concrete. His eyes locked with Alani's, pure hunger and animalistic intentions on his mind, the bloodlust still clouding his judgment.

"You see that?" He demanded angrily, grabbing her arm roughly, yanking her against him. "You see what I just did? That's what you will do if you become what I am! That's what we do night in and out to survive! Do you want it now?" Mark asked harshly, staring down into her fear-filled eyes with so much intensity, it brought a fresh batch of tears to Alani's eyes. Alani was shaken up by now from what she just witnessed and shook her head slowly, more tears spilling down her cheeks, but didn't make a single sound. "No, of course you don't." He spat, pushing her away from him momentarily. "Let's get out of here before someone spots us." He started wrapping his arms around her waist when Alani bolted into the night, screaming for help, running as fast as she possibly could from him.

"HELP! SOMEBODY HELP ME!" Alani screamed out, knowing nobody would hear her, and Mark was instantly hot on her trail.

Tears streamed down her face even harder and faster, but none of that mattered. She wasn't going back to that mansion with vampires who wanted to change her into a monster. She couldn't believe what she had been thinking in actually wanting to become one of them!

"GET BACK HERE, ALANI!" Mark bellowed after her, landing right in front of her moments later, making her collide into his solid rock hard chest. She fell back on the ground with a thud, staring up at him in pure terror and scooted away from him, more tears falling.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" She screamed again, keeping her eyes focused because she couldn't fully panic right now.

Just as he made a grab for her, Alani kicked his hand away as she stumbled up and took off again, shaking from head to toe. Not hearing footsteps behind her, Alani stopped and turned around, covering her mouth with a shaky hand. She knew this wasn't a dream, watching Mark's form lying on the ground in a heap, blood coming from his head. She immediately ran to his side, still having strong feelings for him no matter what he was, and noticed a huge gash in the back of his head.

She couldn't even steady her hand enough to check to make sure he was still alive and then remembered what he was, immediately pulling her hand away. He didn't have a pulse because he wasn't alive; he was immortal and killed others to survive. Alani was so busy checking on Mark that she didn't see a dark figure come up behind her until the darkness suddenly enveloped her entire body.

Her body crumbled and fell on top of Mark's completely unconscious, making the dark figure smirk as he stood over both of them triumphantly. He then lifted Alani's up by her hair, looking at the crystal and smirked wickedly. "Soon, it will all be over, Amber, and you'll be rid of my life once and for all." He then took off into the night with Alani securely in his arms, not able to wait much longer or else the worlds would be balanced for all eternity.

**~!~**

Randy and Morley sat in the living room of their mansion, when they heard footsteps descend the stairs. Both turned their heads and smirked upon seeing Ted. They knew what happened between Carly and Ted the previous night and couldn't have been happier for their younger brother. Though how Alani would react to her sister becoming one of them was still up in the air.

"Well, look who finally decided to grace us with his presence." Morley commented coyly, making Ted smirk like a Cheshire cat as he grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, walking out into the sitting room. He sat down next to Morley with sparkling blue eyes, a grin spreading across his handsome features, causing Morley to roll her eyes heavenward.

"Where are Mark and his hot girlfriend?" Ted asked, not seeing them anywhere.

Randy's senses began going off as he stood up from the couch, looking around, trying to send a message to Mark. It wasn't working. Something wasn't right as Randy looked at his wife and then Ted, swallowing hard. Whatever happened to Mark wasn't good and he didn't know how to tell them without panicking anyone.

"Something's wrong, I can't reach Mark. I'm going out to find him. Ted, stay here with Carly. Bautista could be out there somewhere waiting for one of us to fall into his trap."

Ted suddenly became worried for Carly's safety. "What about Carly?" He demanded, eyes widening slightly.

Randy sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair, nodding. "Her too. I have a feeling Bautista has already struck and took the only person who isn't one of us…"

Ted and Morley both looked at each other.

"Alani."


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

A soft groan escaped the lips of Mark, his eyes slowly fluttering open hours later, wondering where he was. He reached behind and felt the back of his head, the injury already healed, though he still could feel a lingering pain that went far beyond his head. A huge white bandage was wrapped around his head, which was the next thing he noticed, a sharp pain following suit moments later. Mark groaned and settled back against what he assumed was his bed, the smell familiar, though something was missing. It finally dawned on him that Alani wasn't with him, causing Mark to bolt upright in bed.

Suddenly, the chamber door swung open and Randy, Morley, Ted and the newest addition to the clan, Carly, stood before him. She had the palest complexion and blood ran down her chin from a newly feeding. She had apparently caught her first victim and thrived for more, though Ted was teaching her self control.

"He has her." Were the first words out of Mark's mouth, his tone low and broken.

"We know, Marcus."

Morley could feel the tears stinging her eyes, knowing they were all in horrible danger because now Bautista had his hooks in Alani. He literally had her right where he wanted her and could do whatever he wanted. There wasn't a thing any of them could do about it, which was the most terrifying realization of all.

Mark sighed heavily, rubbing the back of his bandaged head, slowly peeling away the gauze wrap. "I'm sorry to all of you. I should've changed her when I had the chance. Now it's too late." He didn't know what else to say, knowing all of this was his fault and now the clan would have to go into hiding in order to escape being wiped from existence.

He had betrayed his family and let everyone down when they needed him most.

"No it's not." Carly spoke, the four other vampires turning to stare at her with tilting heads, wondering what she meant by that. Sighing, Carly pulled out a red crystal that she always carried with her in her pocket, flat out refusing to wear it around her neck for fear of someone becoming too suspicious. She wasn't as trusting as her sister and never would be, tears instantly sliding down her cheeks. Everyone gasped when a tear hit the crystal, a golden glow suddenly emanating from it powerfully, blinding them temporarily.

When the golden glow subsided to where everyone could see again, Amber was standing before them once more.

"How…" That was the only word Mark could utter, swallowing hard, and looked up at Amber with such shock in his eyes, it made her smile. She slowly came toward him, reaching a golden hand out, and touched his face in a gentle caress.

"My daughter is in danger, Mark." Her voice was like honey and ambrosia mixed in one, though it had a ghostly tint to it. "Once David changes her and finds out the crystal isn't real, he's going to destroy her. You have to make the save and change her into what you are. I tried to tell her so many times, but she would never listen to me. She knew deep down inside this was the only way…that it was her destiny and she was right. That's why she didn't fight you when you explained what was going to happen because she knew she belonged with you wholeheartedly. Please do not give up and do not let that monster take what he wants. Do not let him win." Amber pleaded and looked over at her other daughter, smiling softly with tears in her eyes, and Carly instantly burst into more tears as Ted held her close.

Amber walked over to her daughter and gripped her shoulders, forcing Carly to stare into her eyes. "Be strong. Do not falter. This is both of your destinies, accept and embrace it for all you're worth. This is what you were destined to be and who you need to be with." With those encouraging words, Amber bid them all farewell before disappearing back into the crystal in a golden flash.

"I won't, mom." Carly whispered, clutching the crystal tightly in her hand, swallowing hard.

That's when the unthinkable happened.

The crystal suddenly flew from Carly's hand and attached to the silver chain around Mark's neck, making all the vampires look at him in pure shock. The crystal glowed, Mark blinking when he heard Amber's voice in his head. _You have to leave now; there is no time to waste. She's in danger. _Her voice was adamant and a shiver flowed through Mark's body, giving him strength he didn't know he had, the pain he'd been in suddenly deteriorating. Amber was guiding him to Alani and Mark knew he had to go exactly where she instructed him to.

He glanced back at his family, power suddenly invading his deep green eyes. "If I don't return before the sun rises, leave. It means I have failed and both of us are deceased." Mark didn't wait for a reply and simply jumped on the balcony ledge, closing his eyes as he allowed Amber's power to flow through every pore of his body. He began flowing through the midnight sky, knowing he had to get to Alani before it was too late, injured or not.

"Mark, wait! You can't go, not in your condition!" It was pointless and Morley knew it, more tears stinging her eyes, refusing to let them fall. She wished Mark would wait a little longer to heal because the attack had caused a lot of damage. There was no time though and Morley could only hope Mark made it back safely with Alani in tow, turning to bury her face in Randy's chest.

Mark had lost so much blood from the head wound and Morley knew he was still weak. He hadn't fed, which was a big mistake, knowing Amber's influence wouldn't be able to last that long. She looked up at Randy through red rimmed eyes, desperately and silently pleading with him to help Mark with this, but all Randy could do was shake his head, declining.

"Amber is obviously trying to tell us that she wants him to go alone, love. She'll give him strength and they will return safely." Randy was confident, though even he had his doubts.

"She's sending him to his deathbed!" Morley cried and ran out of Mark's chambers in a mask of tears, not able to believe that Mark was sacrificing himself for both Alani and Amber's existences. Didn't his matter?

Randy sighed heavily and went in after her, knowing his wife was gravely upset over the sudden turn of events. Ted looked down at Carly, seeing a look of uncertainty in her eyes. "Come, we have much to prepare for." He stated in her ear, knowing Carly wanted to rip Bautista apart as much as he did.

Carly shook her head, taking a step back from the new love of her life, knowing what she had to do. "I'm going to find my sister. My mother is guiding Mark to him and I'm not going to sit here waiting around to see if my sister dies. I want a piece of this son of a bitch who caused both of us so much pain." Her voice was low and tense, the anger flooding every part of her body, fists clenched tightly at her sides. She would fight Ted if he tried stopping her, the situation having heightened to survival.

"Your mother obviously doesn't want anyone else going…" Ted started to say and sighed when Carly didn't give him a chance to finish.

She leapt out the window, flying through the air already at top speeds, trying to catch up with Mark. There was no time to contemplate this, Carly knew Mark was probably close to Bautista's domains and she had to catch up with him. He growled out in frustration and finally mumbled under his breath before taking off after her, knowing they were definitely playing with serious fire.

He just hoped they didn't get fried.

Mark felt two presences behind him, but didn't stop, knowing he had to get to Alani immediately. His head pounded, wondering what kind of weapon Bautista had used on him to weaken him so much, though Mark hadn't fed in nearly two evenings. He knew enough time had been wasted already and could only hope he wasn't too late. If it was, Mark knew Amber wouldn't be sending him to Bautista as the crystal glowed rapidly around his neck, urging him to go faster.

**~!~**

David smiled down at his sleeping prisoner, slowly running a sharp fingernail down her delicate rosy cheek, knowing she would awaken soon. The crystal around her neck glowed rapidly, trying to warn her of the danger she was in, but David merely chuckled evilly at it. Amber's soul would be gone once and for all within mere hours from this moment and he would own both worlds completely.

He smirked down at Amber's beautiful daughter, Alani, seeing she looked the spitting image of her mother, which made David's thirst for her even more eager. David licked his lips and slowly ran his hand down her stomach, her curvaceous body clad in black lace bra and panties, her wrists chained up to the headboard. He smirked when she slowly began stirring, moving somewhat in bed, though she wasn't fully awake yet.

"Awaken, my lovely Alani." He whispered in her ear, his hot breath caking it.

Thinking it was Mark; Alani smiled softly at the whispering and yawned slowly, not believing the dream she had. It was an awful experience and Alani just wanted to feel Mark's arms around her body, knowing he would take any bad memories of the nightmare away. Her eyes slowly fluttered open and Alani had to bite back a scream when she came face to face with David Bautista, the creature who had haunted her dreams ever since she'd found out he existed. Tears immediately swelled in her eyes as pure fright entered them; cringing at the feeling of his cold clammy hands on her skin, making her shiver from head to toe.

That's when she noticed two things weren't right.

Not only were her wrists chained to the headboard tightly, but she was practically naked before this creature in his bed! Alani started yanking at the chains frantically; shaking her head, knowing it wouldn't do any good. He had her right where he wanted her and Alani felt completely helpless, tears already scorching her cheeks.

"Please let me go! My mother has done nothing to you!" She pleaded out, panic overtaking her body, the crystal glowing intensely.

David growled at the mention of Amber and gripped Alani's chin roughly with his own, staring into her eyes dangerously. "If you desire your life to be spared, I HIGHLY recommend not screaming or mentioning that bitch's name to me again!" He snarled hatefully, not caring if he hurt her.

Alani instantly closed her mouth, not wanting to anger this creature anymore than he already had been, swallowing down sobs. "What are you going to do with me?" She whispered out brokenly, feeling him caressing her body again, which made her want to vomit.

"Anything I please, but first things first, we must get rid of these…"

David didn't waste a second and hooked his thumbs in the elastic waistband of her panties, slowly sliding them down her long smooth legs. Suddenly, the crystal stopped glowing, the golden glow fading. This made David curious as he slowly crawled up Alani's body and prodded at it, wanting Amber to feel every bit of the pain her daughter was about to experience, scowling when nothing happened.

His hand wrapped around the crystal hesitantly, knowing if he touched the crystal, he would be zapped across the room. He roared in anger when absolutely nothing happened, a sinking realization dawning on him that made him want to tear this woman limb from limb. It was a fake! Staring down at Alani with deadly intentions, who was scared to death by now, David slapped her as hard as he could across the face.

"WHERE'S THE CRYSTAL, ALANI?!" He bellowed out, knowing a lot more punishment would come to her if she didn't give him the answer he wanted.

Her head snapped to the side, blood instantly seeping from the corner of her mouth as Alani spit some of it out on the floor and right back in his face. "Nowhere you need to worry about." Was her only reply, feeling a sense of courage overtake her.

Growling out sadistically, David suddenly ripped the chains from her wrists and buried his hand in her hair, yanking her from the bed, ignoring her screams. He slammed her against the nearest stone wall as hard as he could, using as much force as his body could muster, which nearly crushed her. He backhanded her again, her entire frame crumbling to the floor in a heap. Blood spewed from her nose and Alani whimpered in pain, but David wasn't going to show any mercy on her, not believing he'd been played for a fool.

For the next several hours, David beat Alani within an inch of her life. Blood was all over the place, on the sheets, walls, floor, and coated her body from head to toe. He ripped her up by her hair, eyes blackening as the rage consumed him, seeing she was nearly lifeless against him. He didn't waste any more time and buried his face in her neck, beginning to drain the rest of her dry. The chamber door to David's quarters suddenly burst open at that moment, David's head snapping to the side, staring a very irate Mark Calaway.

"Get off of her NOW, Bautista!"

David narrowed his eyes, the taste of Alani's blood lingering on his tongue, and smirked wickedly as he slammed an unconscious Alani face first into the floor, her head bouncing off of it like a basketball. "What are you going to do about it, puny vampire?" He demanded, standing up and squaring his shoulders. "I am MUCH more powerful than you'll ever be! She's MINE now!"

"You'll have to end me completely first." Mark growled and looked down at the crystal, watching as David unsheathed a sword from his wall that'd been hanging there.

It was centuries old and shined with celestial bronze, glinting in the dim firelight of the fireplace that was in David's chambers. Mark had come prepared and unsheathed his own sword, believing in the old ways of solving problems, even though he did own several guns. Mark and David began circling each other slowly; holding their swords, knowing one of them would not survive this battle. Mark didn't dare look at Alani for fear of losing his temper and making a fatal mistake.

"You just signed your own death warrant, boy." David warned and swords clashed together, Carly arriving moments later.

While the two battled, she rushed over to her sister, who was covered in her own blood, making Carly physically sick instead of hungry. Tears poured down her cheeks as Carly checked Alani to see if she had a pulse. It was weak and both knew Alani only had a short amount of time before she was gone for good.

That's when Carly noticed her sister had been bitten, the venom already spreading throughout her body, and knew it would kill her if the process wasn't completed soon.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

A dark cackle sounded from David's lips as he stared at Mark, both of them circling each other again, both gripping their swords like their lives depended on it. Mark's eyes narrowed angrily, his injury already healing thanks to Amber's incredible healing powers. He didn't fear David and never had, though that just made David cackle louder, the sound pure evil.

His eyes adverted to the woman who was trying to get his prisoner to awaken, shocked by who it was, his brown eyes widening.

"Amber's eldest. The one nobody knew existed. I shall deal with you after I take care of this nuisance." David promised in a spat, taking his focus off of Mark for just a split second.

That's all Mark needed.

"You touch her and you die!" Ted growled out, arriving through the window moments later, landing on his feet like a cat. He immediately went to Carly's side, staring into her bloodshot tear filled eyes as she held her baby sister close. The sight was gruesome and Ted couldn't believe how much restraint his beloved had, knowing the blood should've made her crazed with hunger. He started taking his own gun out, not believing in using swords unlike Mark, when Carly stopped him and shook her head.

"He has to do this on his own, Teddy." She whispered, making Ted sigh heavily, nodding reluctantly down at her as he slipped the gun back in his holster, looking down at an almost deceased Alani.

"How much time does she have?"

Carly could feel the tears in her eyes as she shook her head, completely broken. "I have no idea, but it won't be long. I don't want to change her. Mark has to be the one to do it…"

Mark attacked in a vicious howl, not surprised at seeing Ted coming to Carly's rescue, and was grateful to his little brother for giving him the opening he needed. Slashing his sword against David's arm, he sliced a chunk out of it and Mark quickly advanced on him angrily. He glanced over at Carly quickly, his dead heart shattering at the sight of Alani. She didn't have much time left and Mark wasn't about to let her die. He swung his sword again, having temporarily gained the upper hand, but David somehow managed to block it with his own. He tried healing the slash in his arm, but it was too deep and would take time, which David didn't have right now.

"Only one will die tonight." David promised darkly, growling as he slashed Mark's arm with his sword, but it didn't faze the vampire.

"Then it WILL be you!" Mark promised as the swords clashed together again, backing each other up, trying to gain control, the sound echoing around the room.

The more intense it became, the harder the swords hit each other as Mark kept his focus on David. He couldn't lose focus because one false move and he was dead, he simply knew it. The celestial bronze was one of the only things that could still kill a vampire, which dated back to times when people believed gods and goddesses existed…before Christ. David's eyes grew to a blood red along with Mark's while Carly tried desperately waking her sister up.

It was no use though.

She was slowly slipping away. "Don't do this to me, Lani! I need you in my life, you know this! You can fight this, please don't die! FIGHT IT!"

Carly sobbed and buried her face in her sister's neck, tears streaming down her face. She took Alani's hand and pressed a kiss to the back of it, knowing this was the end…that her sister would die in mere moments. Her heartbeat slowed with each beat and Carly looked up as Mark continued fighting David, hating this monster with every fiber of her being.

Being immortal, Mark didn't even break a sweat as Mark continued battling for everything and David seemed to be enjoying every second of it. "Give it up, boy! You'll never defeat me! NO man can defeat me!" He had backed Mark up against the stone wall, his sword pressed against Mark's neck as he began gasping for air, Mark's strength slowly beginning to deteriorate. He wasn't one hundred percent healed, knowing it would be moments before Bautista won this and he lost.

He was wrong.

Suddenly, an incredibly sharp pain zipped up the side of David as he whipped around, staring Carly in the face with a gun firmly grasped in her hand. "How about a woman then, FATHER?"

Ted couldn't believe what he'd seen or heard and couldn't react fast enough when he felt Carly slip the gun from his holster. She'd waited for David to have his attention on Mark before striking, like a snake, the bullet piercing something vital she hoped. The blood spilled from the bullet wound and Carly snatched Mark's sword from his hand, knowing she had to end this or else they would all die. Without preamble, Carly stabbed David right in his black heart, sinking Mark's sword as deep as she possibly could, and watched as the dark red liquid began flowing out of his body in gallons.

"That was for our mother." She spat, unsheathing the sword from his chest, the beautiful blade coated with his blood.

David sunk to his knees on the floor, not believing a woman, his own daughter, had just defeated him. "You…bitch…" He croaked out, taking his last breath and fell back on the floor in a hard heap, making the walls tremble. Carly dropped to her knees and began sobbing, holding the bloody sword tightly in her grasp.

Ted immediately ran over to Carly, who watched the creature who had destroyed her family, die right before her eyes. She dropped the sword and immediately went in Ted's awaiting arms, crying her heart out, gripping his shirt tightly. Her nails dug into the material as she sobbed harshly, Ted holding her as close as he possibly could while Mark tended to Alani.

Mark watched this take place and immediately knew what he had to do. He rushed over and dropped beside Alani's side, who was deathly white from how much blood she'd lost. He placed her head in his lap carefully and felt the tears burn his eyes at how deathly she looked, but also peaceful. The only way for her to live through this was him, but even then Mark found himself struggling to do this, wanting to rip Bautista apart, especially when he saw the two puncture wounds in Alani's neck.

"I love you, Alani. Please forgive me for this." Mark whispered, knowing he had absolutely no choice, and gently laid her head back on the floor before crawling on top of her.

He lifted her up by the back of her neck and slowly brought her chest to his mouth, closing his eyes painfully as tears slid down his cheeks. He was starving and knew he had to be very careful because Alani didn't have much blood left inside of her. His mouth attached to her skin, instantly beginning drinking from her for the first time, feeling Alani's heartbeat slow down rapidly.

With every swallow, her life slipped away from her and Mark had to stop, pulling away from her as he let out an animalistic growl, her blood running down the corners of his mouth and chin. Alani's chest rose and fell very slowly, almost as if taking her last breath, and Mark tried being as gentle as possible without letting the bloodlust completely consume him. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her, but still could not believe how incredible she tasted, knowing he couldn't feed on her anymore or she wouldn't survive the transformation.

When he was finished, Mark pulled away from her lifeless form and slit his wrist quickly, not believing he was doing this. "Drink, my beautiful angel, and live forever with me." He pleaded, hoping it wasn't too late, his eyes closing momentarily when nothing happened.

Carly watched in amazement, wiping her tears away, and hoped Mark could control himself enough not to kill Alani. Mark brought his wrist to his mouth and opened it up, his blood pouring forth as he held it to Alani's mouth, begging her to drink and live forever with him. The entire time he cried, not caring who saw him, and miraculously somehow Alani found the strength to start drinking from his wrist. Carly smiled, knowing this was both of their destinies, and also knew her sister would live through this. This was the only way for Alani to live, she wouldn't have survived any other way and hoped her sister understood that. If Mark hadn't changed her within the next few minutes, she would have died and nothing could have saved her. Carly kept her distance as Mark held Alani close to him, after taking his wrist from her mouth, feeling her fall completely limp against him.

"She'll sleep for three nights…" Mark began to say, informing both of them, never taking his eyes from his angel's face.

"I already know, Mark. Thank you for saving my sister's life." Carly cut him off as a smile spread across her face, feeling more tears come to her eyes as the crystal around Mark's neck glowed faintly.

It once glowed a bright gold and was slowly dying down, finally stopping, acknowledging Amber was no longer with them.

She was finally able to rest in peace.

Mark gently lifted Alani in his strong arms, the slash on his arm slowly healing, ignoring the pain that went through his body. He knew he would be healed by the next nightfall, also knowing they had to get back to the mansion before sunrise. Mark glanced over at the fallen David one final time and knew it was over, that they could all rest easy and flew off into the night sky with Alani in tow.

**~!~**

Meanwhile, Morley cried in her husband's arms, not believing what was happening to their family. Randy did his best to comfort her, absolutely despising to see her tears, but knew she needed some kind of release. Even though she was immortal and a vampire, Morley still felt emotions like a mortal and needed to cry once in awhile.

Randy kissed her forehead softly, running her back. "They shall be fine, my love." He whispered in her ear.

Suddenly, the double doors swung open, making Randy immediately stand up from the couch, whipping his own sword out as a shadowed figure walked inside, shocked by what he saw. It was Mark with Ted and Carly in tow, a sleeping blood covered Alani in his arms. Randy slowly walked over to his brother, swallowing hard, seeing how exhausted Mark was.

"You changed her, didn't you?" It wasn't a question.

"I had no choice. She would have died had I not." Mark muttered and looked down at the angel in his arms, seeing the changes already taking effect and knew he hadn't been too late. She was going to live, her skin becoming paler. No breath escaped her lips as Mark held her closer to him, not believing what he'd done.

Morley wiped her tears away instantly and joined her husband's side, seeing how exhausted both Carly and Ted were as well. "Go rest my dears, you look mangled."

Before they could leave, Randy held his hand up, sensing something wasn't right within the group. He looked at Carly and said nothing. He simply bowed to her and Morley instantly followed suit, as well as Ted and Mark –he was careful not to harm Alani in any way while doing so-, Carly standing there looking completely baffled. She looked at all four of them with curious eyes, wondering what was going on.

"W-What's this about?" She stammered out, taken aback.

"You destroyed David Bautista and saved our kind. You actually saved the world from extinction and maintained the balance between mortals and immortals. For that, we will always be eternally grateful." Randy explained, straightening back to his full frame, and kissed Carly's cheek gently. "Thank you, Carly."

Carly could only nod and watched as Mark carried Alani up to his chambers, sighing heavily. She knew when her sister woke up, her entire world was going to be shattered and there was nothing anyone could do to stop it from happening. Ted wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders, gesturing her from the sitting room up to their own chambers to rest.

This had been one of the most stressful nights that they could remember and all Ted wanted to do was sleep with his own beauty in his arms. Randy and Morley breathed easier that night, heading upstairs as well, Randy lifting her up in his strong arms as he kissed her breathless. Morley couldn't help kissing him back, knowing things were about to become very interesting in their clan, but no matter what they would stick together through anything and everything.

Mark gently laid Alani down in his bed and walked into his private bathroom, grabbing a bucket of water and a washcloth, refusing to let her sleep with all of that blood on her body. He couldn't believe he hadn't arrived in time to save her from the amount of pain he knew she suffered. He proceeded to sit beside her and wiped away every last drop of her own blood, feeling sicker the more he cleaned her up.

Her body was covered in deep dark black, blue and purple bruises, knowing bones were already mending because of the transformation. She had gashes down her arms, legs, stomach, back and legs, anywhere there was skin. David had done a number on her and Mark suddenly wished he'd been the one to end the prick instead of Carly.

He still couldn't believe David was Carly's father, which meant he was also Alani's, deciding he wouldn't mention that. Some things were simply better left unsaid and alone, this definitely being one of them. Once Mark was completely finished cleaning her from head to toe, he lifted Alani in his arms and carried her into the bathroom, proceeded to wash the blood out of her hair.

He didn't put a lot of water in the tub, knowing she wouldn't feel any of this, her heartbeat having already stopped. He couldn't believe the last time he'd seen her human with a beating heart had been when she ran away from him in fright, tears stinging his eyes at the memory. He never wanted to scare her like that, but Mark had panicked and couldn't believe she actually wanted to be a monster like him.

In the end, it happened anyway and Mark regretted fighting it so much because, honestly, he would've ended up changing her eventually. There was no way he could live and exist without Alani beside him. Mark vowed right then and there to do everything in his power to make her happy from this night forward, knowing she would never be able to watch a sunset or go into daylight again.

He could only hope she didn't hate him when the transformation completed.

Once she was freshly clean, Mark changed the sheets off the bed and threw the blood covered ones away, laying Alani on freshly clean ones that Morley left him. He then climbed into bed beside her and pulled his angel in his arms, kissing her forehead and neck, the warmth of her body suddenly disappearing. Of course, she didn't feel cold to him because they were one in the same now. He was a part of her and would be for the rest of their existence.

"I love you, Alani." He whispered and immediately fell into a deep slumber just as the sun rose over the horizon, the room pitch black.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Three nights passed and still nothing came from Alani as she slept, looking like a corpse. The roses in her cheeks no longer bloomed, no breath escaped her cold lips, and her heart did not beat. The vampires were all edge, especially Mark, who spent most of his nights outside waiting for his dark angel to rise up out of her slumber. Because of how much damage she sustained at the hands of David Bautista, Carly assured him it would most likely take longer than normal for her to awaken.

Deep mystic blue eyes slowly fluttered open, a soft groan escaping her lips as Alani stared up at the dark ceiling. How long had she been out? Alani sat up in bed slowly, feeling extremely weak and sore, probably from the amount of violence she experienced at Bautista's hands. The last thing she remembered was being beaten within an inch of her life and she had no idea what Bautista used to cause her such pain.

Maybe nothing except his brutal hands, he wasn't exactly a small man and his strength terrified her. What if she was still with him? Alani slowly looked around the room, sensing something was different and very slowly stood up from the bed. Her legs were incredibly shaky, but managed to make it to the bathroom without tripping over her feet and sighed when it dawned on her she was back at the mansion.

'I don't want to be here.' Alani thought sadly, flipping on the nightstand light and looked in the full length mirror.

A feeling of dread washed over her as Alani stared in the mirror, expecting her heart to begin pounding inside of her chest, tears instantly swelling in her eyes at the realization that she no longer had a heartbeat. Her hand frantically searched and pressed all over her upper chest, covering her mouth with her free hand when she didn't find anything. She checked her wrist and checked for a pulse, not finding one. What the hell was going on?

That's when her eyes landed on the mirror for the first time and Alani blinked, huge tears sliding down her pale cheeks, eyes a darker blue than she remembered. Her long flowing red hair was darker as well and shined, curling naturally at the ends. Her body was encased in a simple black nightgown that went to her knees and was long sleeved with a V shaped neckline. The material clung to her every curve and that just scared Alani even more, fingering the crystal around her neck.

Mark had apparently replaced it while she slept, though Alani didn't know that, thinking Bautista had destroyed it. When she touched it, however, nothing happened, not even when a teardrop hit it. The crystal didn't have a golden glow anymore or emanate any kind of power.

Her mother was gone.

This couldn't be happening.

"No…" She whispered, shaking her head while taking slow steps back from the mirror. "NO!"

The clan had just awoken from their own slumbers, Randy and Morley on the couch while Ted and Carly couldn't keep their hands off of each other in the loveseat. They were currently downstairs in the foyer, Mark staring out the window and pacing, growing rapidly impatient. It'd been an hour since they woke up and he knew he had to feed soon, already feeling sluggish from not doing so, but he wouldn't leave until he knew Alani was up. He wanted to take her on her first hunt, knowing she would be incredibly thirsty when she did awaken. His head snapped to the side, along with the others, when a blood curdling scream sounded from upstairs, Mark immediately taking off.

"Looks like sleeping beauty has finally woken." Ted smirked, being the sarcastic of the bunch, and groaned when Carly smacked him upside the head.

"Shut up." She ordered, ignoring his glare when she elbowed him in the stomach next. "That's my sister you're talking about, maggot."

Morley couldn't help laughing at the two of them, knowing they were perfect for each other. They fought like cats and dogs, always at each other's throats about one thing or another. Carly had a lot of pride and so did Ted, so when they clashed it was definitely a sight to see. However, when it came to making up, it was all about love and passion between them. Morley sighed and leaned against her husband's chest, their fingers instantly finding each other's, entwining their fingers together.

Randy smiled and wrapped his arms securely around her waist, pulling her close to him, his mouth right by her ear. "Things will get better now, Morley, I swear it." He promised, loving how she snuggled against him.

"I know they will."

She had no doubts in her mind and sighed heavily, taking a small sip of her chalice full of human blood. Randy had raided the blood bank downtown a few weeks ago, knowing they couldn't feed every single night because the person they chose had to die. Everyone in the clan knew it too, which is why Ted and Carly had their own chalices, sipping out of each others. It was too adorable for words, they were acting like a couple of crazy kids in love, which they were.

Mark burst through his chamber doors moments later, nearly dropping to his knees when he saw her standing before him. The bathroom light was on, which was dimly lit, but that's all vampires needed due to their incredible vision. They could see through complete darkness because of how sharp their eyes became during the transformation.

His eyes couldn't peel away from the beautiful dark angel before him and slowly walked towards her, seeing she had changed out of the black nightgown. Being a vampire, Mark believed she had changed within the time she screamed till his arrival, a slow smile spreading across his lips. Alani looked breathtaking in a midnight blue dress that clung to every curve of her body and had long sleeves that hung down with black lace on the hems. The dress dipped and had a square neckline that was embroidered with black lace as well, pooling down around her ankles and fit her to perfection.

Her long red hair was in wavy curls that cascaded down her back and shoulders lusciously, her skin a pale white like the moon. Her face had taken on a darker look as the tiniest bit of black could be shown beneath her eyes, her face glowing from the paleness. Her teeth also glowed when she flashed them at him, her lips full red and pouty, causing Mark to lick his lips hungrily.

She was the most beautiful woman he'd ever laid his sights on, especially as a vampire.

"Alani…" Was all that Mark could say and blinked when she slapped him as hard as she could across the face, her nails digging into his flesh.

Mark growled and stumbled back, feeling the blood running down his cheek, staring a very pissed off Alani standing before him. The cuts were already healing, his skin sealing up as if she didn't just draw his blood, which terrified Alani even more. She slowly backed up from him, not believing what was happening, and could feel the tears already streaking down her cheeks again.

What had he done to her? Mark sighed, not angry in the slightest for her reaction, and knew she was going to have a few freak out moments because of how new all of this was. Her tears broke his heart, even though it didn't beat or move, but he could feel the pain radiating from her and, in turn, that caused him pain.

"W-What did you do to me?" She stammered out, looking around the room and wiped her tears away frantically.

A burning sensation began spreading through her throat, especially when Alani had drawn Mark's blood, a thirst beginning to overtake her for it. Alani began trembling violently, wrapping her arms around herself and began screaming again. Mark took this moment to walk over and pull her into his arms forcefully, pressing her back to his chest, locking her arms at her sides by wrapping one arm around her upper body tightly. She was much more powerful now that she was a vampire, but that didn't mean Mark couldn't overpower her if necessary.

"I had no choice." He whispered in her ear huskily, moving her hair to the side with his free hand, her body trembling against his. "You would have died had I not changed you into this. I know you didn't want it. I didn't want to do it either, but this is who you are now. You have to accept it, accept this new life, with me."

"Then I don't want to live." She replied coldly and continued trembling against him, trying to break free from him, remembering the last time she saw him.

How he'd completely mangled and took that poor woman's life in the park, just to show her his power and the animal he was. Mark tightened his grip just a bit more on her body, knowing if she really wanted to, Alani could overpower him at a moment's notice. He pressed his cheek to hers, rubbing it affectionately, feeling her start to melt in his arms again.

"If it's any consolation, you look even more breathtaking as a vampire than you did as a human, angel." He murmured in a deep voice, trying to soothe her the best way he could.

More tears poured down her cheeks and Alani completely fell apart in Mark's arms, feeling so weak from the three day slumber. Not to mention it felt like her throat was completely on fire, knowing it had to be the thirst. She couldn't remember anything past the beating Bautista inflicted on her, wondering when Mark had changed her. It was frightening how she couldn't remember anything besides staring in those cold dark brown eyes of a killer, a creature who wanted to destroy her mother.

Mark sighed deeply at the sound of her heart wrenching sobs full of confusion and heartache, expecting this type of reaction because he knew she wasn't given a choice. "Alani, if I didn't change you, you would have died." He tried explaining to her again. "You were so badly beaten and lost so much blood. I had no choice. I had to do it."

Suddenly, something surged inside of Alani and she broke free from Mark with every ounce of strength she had inside of her. Mark flew away from her across the room, crashing into the wall with a sickening thud, and Alani blinked in momentary shock because she didn't know what the hell happened. Her chest rose and fell harshly, staring at him as hatred burned in her eyes.

"Stay away from me!" She shouted, sending him flying into the wall again, fury radiating from every pore of her body.

Alani didn't wait around to feel or see the backlash from Mark and took off from the room as fast as she could. She didn't want to be here anymore and looked around, desperately seeking a way out, her eyes finding the black spiraling staircase. Alani didn't waste a second and quickly raced down them, ignoring the hunger her body screamed for, and stopped dead in her tracks at the sight of Randy, Morley, Ted and Carly.

Carly looked exactly like she did, the pale complexion and all, both of them staring at each other knowingly. Alani backed away from all of them, starting to lose all sense of reality, and screamed when she felt Mark's presence behind her again. He looked at Randy helplessly and sighed when Randy simply nodded his head, Mark hating what he was about to do. Without preamble, Mark yanked Alani's head roughly to the side, knowing he wouldn't hurt her, and began draining her of energy so she would sleep more.

If she left here now, she would only end up hurting herself and others, which couldn't happen, especially since most humans didn't believe they existed. Carly started going after him, anger flaring in her eyes, but Ted stopped her from doing so. He shook his head, knowing this had to be done because Alani was completely out of control right now, and would also continue being drained until she accepted who and what she was. Tears swelled in Carly's eyes as she turned around, burying her face in Ted's chest, shaking her head slowly.

"She's going to hate me now." She sobbed brokenly, Ted holding her close. "She's going to hate all of us because Mark changed her."

Ted sighed and rubbed her back soothingly, trying to calm her down because he knew Carly was tormented over her sister's reaction. He lifted her in his strong arms and carried her upstairs to their chambers, leaving Mark alone with Randy and Morley. He knew Carly had to rest, especially after killing her own father, and kissed her lips as he proceeded to lie down with her. He wrapped her in his arms protectively, giving her the comfort she craved, both of them simply lying there in darkness and silence.

When Mark felt Alani turn limp in his arms, he stopped and closed the two puncture wounds in her neck with a swipe of his tongue, both Randy and Morley sighing deeply. "She has to accept this before we start showing her the ways of our kind." Randy stated, making Mark nod in agreement, lifting Alani's unconscious frame in his arms.

"She hates me for doing this to her. I don't blame her. If she wants to leave after she knows the ways of this life, I'm not going to stop her and neither are any of you. I'm not taking anymore decisions away from her. I'm not keeping her prisoner here. If she doesn't want to be with me, then it's her decision and hers alone." Mark stated with finality and walked back upstairs with Alani in his arms back to his chambers, knowing she still needed to feed.

He slit his wrist as soon as he had her lying in bed and watched her hungrily drink from him in her subconscious, knowing the blood would revive her in just a few short hours. He hadn't drained her as much as Randy would've liked, but it wasn't fair to Alani, Mark knew that much. Hell, Carly had a choice to be changed, which is why she didn't despise Ted the way Alani did him. It tore Mark apart inside and out that Alani hated him and he didn't know how to make it right.

"I couldn't let you die, don't you know that? Don't you know you mean everything to me and more, angel? I love you so much, I couldn't watch you die…I couldn't…" Mark whispered, running his finger up and down her pale cheek as she slept, wishing he could've done something else to save her besides turning her into a monster. "I'm so sorry, Alani, forgive me…"

Wrapping an arm around her waist, Mark soon fell into a slumber, not even thirsty because he was dead inside without Alani.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Months passed and Alani was starting to understand the ways in which vampires lived and survived. She had her first feeding after freaking out four more times and nearly killing Mark with her nails alone. She was incredibly strong and could take him out without trying, which was due to having Mark's blood running through her veins. She gained her maker's strength and Alani didn't know how to cope with it, though she did the best she could.

Mark was indeed the strongest vampire out of the clan, including Randy. Mark had been patient with her throughout the entire process and even took her on her first feeding, showing her the ways of life. She cried her heart out after killing her first victim, which was an old homeless woman who begged for death. However, there was a perk to being a bloodsucking vermin and that was flying, Alani absolutely loved doing so.

It was her favorite part about being a vampire.

Eventually, Alani became a part of the family and was happy for her sister when Ted finally asked her to marry him. They belonged together and Carly didn't even hesitate in accepting his proposal. He'd taken her to one of their favorite spots in the city, some place they could actually look up at the stars and moon. Carly was then presented with a beautiful blue teardrop sapphire ring set on a silver band with little diamonds on each side shaped in smaller teardrops. Carly didn't care if the ring came out of a crackerjack box and told him she wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of eternity with him.

Alani had closed the bookstore and given up her apartment, knowing she couldn't survive in the world without being with the clan. It was hard to do, but Alani knew it was for the best, even though she would miss her independent life. If she had left the mansion and everything behind, including her sister, it would be the same as spitting in her mother's face, which Alani would never do. So in memory of Amber, she decided to leave her human life behind and start fresh with being a vampire. The part that killed her the most was never being able to watch a sunrise again or feel the sunlight on her face, though Alani was becoming strangely acclimated to living in darkness.

The night of the wedding had finally arrived and everyone was getting ready, having been up right after the sundown. Carly looked absolutely stunning in a definitely nontraditional wedding gown that was made of black velvet and fit every curve of her body to perfection. It wasn't fluffy, frilly or anything like that. Straight narrow with a lace hood and lace paneling on the upper arms of the sleeves, a fitted lace sleeve under the separate velvet one. It had a laced bust that showed the curves of her breasts and her hair was left down with just a few curls throughout it. Her lips were painted dark blood red with black eyeliner and mascara, finishing her look off with a pair of two inch knee high steel toed boots.

Carly was a breathtaking dark bride and definitely outshined everyone.

Alani wore a simple black velvet dress that was long, narrow and strapless, pooling just below her ankles, brushing against the tops of her feet. She had two inch black heels on that helped the length a little, but not much. Her hair pooled down her back in shining waves, black eyeliner outlining her eyes, bringing out the blue in them with black lipstick painting her lips.

She held a small bouquet of black roses and she had on the Amber Crystal that her mother's soul once held. Alani never took it off, refusing to disgrace her mother's memory, and felt it did bring her luck. She touched it with her fingertips and smiled when Carly walked up behind her, glad they had finally gotten back to talking again like old times.

"You ready for this?" Alani asked softly, turning around to face her sister, not believing how well Carly molded into being a vampire.

"Ready as I'll ever be." She answered honestly, feeling a little nervous about the wedding. Some human feelings just lingered no matter if she was a vampire or not, some things truly never changed. "I love Teddy, Lani. I really do."

"I know you do, Car, but if he hurts you, I will rip his throat out."

"Hell, you know if he hurts me, I'll be the one killing him first so you'll just have to burn the body, honey."

Both girls chuckled softly as Carly looked in the mirror, a few tears sliding down her cheeks, but quickly wiped them away carefully, not wanting to wreck Alani's makeup job. She glanced at her little sister, who was absolutely miserable, even though she tried hiding it, but Carly knew her too well. They both stared at their reflections in the mirror and Carly finally couldn't keep quiet anymore, turning Alani to face her by the shoulders. She knew Alani wouldn't yell or scream at the bride, so Carly was fully taking advantage of this moment, knowing she wouldn't get it again.

"Just tell Mark how you feel and be done with it."

Alani sighed deeply and shook her head, knowing she was being very stubborn, but Mark had honestly showed her a side of him she wasn't sure she could forgive and forget. "Come on, let's get you married so you and Teddy can be happy together and not have to worry about whether or not he's cheating on you." She grinned when Carly rolled her eyes playfully, both girls laughing again.

"That was ONE freaking time! And this isn't about me, Alani, it's about you and how miserable you are without him…"

"I'm not in love with him, Carly, so drop the damn subject please." Alani snapped, making her sister sigh deeply and took the bouquet of blood red and black mixed roses that Alani handed her, both of them heading out of the changing room.

Morley beamed proudly as she stood at the edge of the stairs, knowing the ceremony would be starting momentarily. She looked astonishing in a simple red velvet dress that went two inches above the knee, never a big fan of long dresses. It had a low dip neckline and tied around her neck in a halter, a simple diamond broach glittering in the middle of the black velvet sash that wrapped around it. Her hair was done up in a ton of spiral curls, a few hanging down her face, framing it delicately, her makeup simple red lipstick that matched the dress with black eyeliner.

Randy couldn't take his eyes away from his wife and kissed her lips softly, being careful not to smear her lipstick. "You look exquisite, my love." He murmured in her ear, not able to wait to remove the dress later so he could have his wicked way with her.

"Thank you."

Morley kissed him back once again, never able to just be content with one, both of them walking over to sit down in their chairs. Morley rested her head on his shoulder, their fingers entwining together, feeling exhausted because she'd planned every detail of this wedding down to the last candlestick used. Randy chuckled, running his fingers up and down her back, knowing he would probably only be able to make love to her one time that night because of how tired his beloved was.

The cemetery where they were getting married in, which was right outside of the mansion, was done up in black candles that surrounded the place. It gave off an eerie glow that only beings that lived in darkness could appreciate. Mark was Ted's best man while Randy and Morley were the witnesses of this delightful occasion. Alani, of course, was Carly's maid of honor and also gave her sister away to Ted, giving him a look that clearly said he better not hurt her.

Ted simply smiled back at her, assuring her silently he would never do anything like that, neither of them needing to use telepathy to get the message across. Carly was crying and turned to face her sister, Alani kissing her cheek and released her hand, clasping her hands together as tears sparkled in her own eyes. As the ceremony officially began, with Randy being the one who would bind them together, Mark couldn't take his eyes away from Alani.

She looked sensational, every minor detail right down to the type of makeup she had on stealing his breath away. The dress clung to her body like a second skin and in so many ways, he wondered briefly what she had beneath it, immediately clearing those thoughts out of his head when Randy shot him a quick glare. Mark longed to touch her, to make her feel cherished and loved, but knew it was her ultimate decision in the end.

He was shocked when Alani had announced she was staying with the clan and living in the mansion, though his dead heart broke when she requested her own chambers to sleep in. Randy and Morley had immediately set her up, much to Mark's dismay, and he'd spent the first few months away from the mansion at nights, tearing anything apart he could find, trying to stay away from humans. He knew Alani couldn't get the image of him taking that woman's life in the park out of her mind and hated himself for it, not believing he'd actually scared the love of his life away just because he'd tried scaring her out of wanting to be changed.

In the end, she'd been changed and it was done by force, which made it even worse because Mark could've done it the way Ted did with Carly.

"Darkness surrounds you and proclaims you forever bound for eternity. Take her as your own, Theodore DiBiase Jr." Randy announced and smirked when Ted rolled his eyes at the full use of his name, but that didn't stop the groom from taking his dark bride in his arms and kissing her breathless.

He dipped her in the process, the passion between them escalating to new heights because they were officially married. Within mere moments, both vanished into midair, causing everyone to laugh because Teddy had been deprived of sexual contact with Carly for the past few weeks, thanks to Morley's determination to make the wedding night memorable. Morley couldn't stop giggling, knowing when Ted and Carly arrived in their chambers, there would be a few special toys to use to make their wedding evening even more special.

"You are evil, my love." Randy rumbled in her ear, causing Morley to melt against him as she smirked over her shoulder, eyes locking with his.

"I know, what's your point?"

Randy growled, both of them vanishing moments later as well, leaving just Mark and Alani alone in the cemetery. Alani began walking away back toward the mansion, wanting to take the long way, when a hand reached out and grasped her upper arm. Alani tensed instantly and closed her eyes because this was the first time Mark had touched her in months.

"Let go of me, Mark." Her cold voice echoed through the night, but Mark refused to listen to her.

He slowly turned her around to face him, staring deep in those cold blue eyes. "Why do you hate me so much?" He asked, needing to know the answer, his chest tightening painfully.

Alani's sarcastic laughter echoed throughout the cemetery, though sadness tinted it. "Let's think about that one, shall we?"

She rolled her eyes and sighed when she seen the hurt swirling through his green eyes. She couldn't help it though. The man had changed her into something that made her feel nothing but bitterness and forced her to live in total darkness. He'd taken her life away from her and Alani would've rather died that night then be what she was now…a bloodsucking vermin who roamed the earth forever.

She would never get old, never have babies and never die. She would never get to experience full life with growing old with someone, getting married and watching her grandchildren playing by the rocking chair she saw herself in. Never again would she feel the warmth of the sun or watch a beautiful sunrise because it would turn her to ashes, which broke her dead heart more than anything.

"If I didn't change you Alani, you would have died!" Mark growled, sick and tired of hearing about what he'd done to her, how he'd destroyed her life by changing her. "I love you."

He had to make her understand why he had done because he couldn't bring himself to watch her die or to lose her. He did what he thought she wanted because, at first, Alani did want to be with him for all eternity. Then he had to scare the hell out of her and make her rethink everything, which Mark would regret for the rest of his existence.

Alani ripped her arm out of his grasp, feeling the stinging of tears in her eyes. "You don't love me, Mark." She argued, gritting her teeth. "You just want what you can't have!"

"That's not true!" Mark roared back and ran his hands through his hair in pure frustration, having taken out the holder because he'd slicked his hair back for the wedding. If he didn't calm down right now, he was going to explode and make things even worse with Alani, which is the last thing he wanted to do. "I would rather take a stake to my heart or burn in the sunlight then cause you one OUNCE of pain." He said after a few moments of tense silence between them. "Whether you realize it or not, Alani, we are meant to be. We are soul mates. Amber chose me to be with you and, no matter what happens, we'll always find our way back to each other. We'll live forever as long as we do it right and we'll always think of each other. I love you, Alani, and I'm not giving up on you, on us."

"There is no us! Get it through your head, Mark! I don't want ANYTHING to do with you! I hate you for what you've done to me! Get it? I FUCKING HATE YOU!" She screamed and started throwing her fists at his chest, her hurt, pain, frustration, everything coming out as she beat as hard as she could against his chest for the next hour.

She cussed, ranted and raved, calling him every name in the book, even making up some that Mark never heard before. Mark knew this is what she needed and allowed her to hit him as much as she needed to get all of the rage out. When she finally collapsed against him, Alani began slipping to the ground and Mark caught her, lifting her up in his arms.

He carried her back to the mansion, knowing this was the first step in forgiveness from her. Mark placed her gently in bed and looked down into her face, sighing deeply as he ran his thumb across her tear streaked cheek, wishing she loved him a quarter of how much he loved her. He knew she loved him, but was it enough to stay with him for eternity?

Was it enough was the only question that went through his mind, his black heart breaking slowly. She was taking a little piece of it with her every time she said something cruel to him…like the word hate. As he fell asleep that night with Alani wrapped tightly in his arms, the only thing that went through Mark's mind was the wonder if she would ever forgive him fully for what he'd done to her.

**~!~**

The following evening, Mark woke up from his peaceful slumber, one he hadn't had in months and looked down, expecting to see, to feel Alani's soft body against his. All he felt was emptiness because she wasn't beside him. Mark slowly slipped from bed and walked over to the open balcony doors, the breeze blowing gently, but that's not what he noticed. Lying on the balcony were scattered dark ashes that were slowly blowing in the breeze away from the mansion. Mark dropped to his knees instantly, knowing exactly what Alani had done to herself, and gripped the Amber Crystal in his hand, squeezing it in his hand tightly as the tears streaked down his cheeks. Alani had taken her own immortal existence because she couldn't take the fact her soul had been stolen from her.

Hours passed by and Mark couldn't pull himself away from the balcony, couldn't let go of the Amber Crystal, having placed it on his silver chain around his neck. He couldn't walk back inside as the heat began rising in the air, knowing this was his destiny. He belonged with Alani even in the afterlife, whatever awaited him he was ready to embrace with open arms, as long as Alani was waiting for him on the other side.

Stolen souls were a powerful thing and Mark knew deep down inside that this was the ultimate sacrifice as the sun slowly rose up over the horizon, piercing him. "I'm coming, Alani." He whispered, closing his eyes, already lighting on fire. "I give up. The war is over within me. I'll see you soon, my angel."

Two piles of ashes lay on the balcony of Mark's chambers as Randy, Morley, Ted and Carly mourned over the loss of their relatives. Their ashes were spread all over the mansion, wanting to keep their memory alive as much as possible. The vampires went on with their existences, as hard as it was to do, they couldn't do anything else.

Somehow miraculously, Morley and Carly ended up being able to conceive children from their husbands and named their children after Mark and Alani in memory of their stolen souls.

The End.


End file.
